JAMA Psych: Heavy! Depression in the early years may be associated with an increased risk of 66 diseases and premature death in the later stages!

DECEMBER 14, 2020 // -- In a recent study published in the international journal JAMA Psy, scientists from the Caroline Institute in Sweden and other institutions conducted a large observational study that found that children and adolescents with depression have a significantly increased risk of premature death and multiple diseases in later life.
study highlights the need to shed light on the underlying causes of depression in children and adolescents, and other mental illnesses, such as anxiety and substance abuse, may partly explain this association.
researcher Sarah E. Bergen said the study showed that children and adolescents diagnosed with depression were at increased risk of premature death, self-harm, or other diseases in later life.
highlights the need for timely help for these children, as well as the need for effective intervention by medical personnel to improve their physical health and quality of life in the later stages of mental and physical illness.
: CC0 Public Domain is currently rarely diagnosed in young children, but its incidence is on the rise in adm.
Previous studies have found a clear link between depression in adolescents and a variety of adverse health outcomes, including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and premature death, while mental illnesses such as anxiety and substance use disorders may also be directly related to depression. In the
study, researchers wanted to analyze whether depression in individuals in the early years was directly related to a variety of widespread diseases in later stages, and how other mental illnesses affected the association and whether depression in adolescents increased their risk of premature death. In the
paper, researchers followed nearly 1.5 million Swedish boys and girls, more than 37,000 of whom were diagnosed with depression between the ages of 5 and 19, and those patients were between the ages of 17 and 31 at the end of the study.
The researchers found that of the 69 diseases tested (including sleep disorders, type 2 diabetes, viral hepatitis, kidney and liver disease), children and adolescents with depression had an increased risk of developing 66 diseases later in life;
study highlights gender differences, such as women with early onset depression who may be more likely to be injured and diseases/infections in the urinary system, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal tract.
on the other hand, men with depression are more likely to experience obesity, thyroid problems, celiac disease, connective tissue disease and eczema.
some of these associations may be explained by other co-existing mental illnesses, particularly drug use disorders and anxiety disorders, which have previously been thought to be associated with an increased risk of a particular disease, the researchers said.
these mental illnesses often occur in the same patient, so later researchers need to do more in-depth research to analyze the effects of each disease on patients.
more research is needed later to understand the close link between depression and other diseases, said Marina Leone, a researcher at the University of Los Synth.
we can't say at this time whether depression leads to an increased risk of negative health effects on the body, or whether other hidden factors can lead to an increased risk of depression and other diseases in patients.
it is therefore important for researchers to examine how these processes affect other diseases and whether they can help develop interventions and therapies to improve the overall health of the body by clarifying the pathogenesis of the diseases involved.
() Original source: Marica Leone, Ralf Kuja-Halkola, Amy Leval, et al.Association of youth depression with subsequent somatic diseases and premature death. JAMA Psychiatry, 2020 DOI:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.3786。