Major depression in a large family in Pakistan: No relationship to inbreeding, economic status or rural living

Abstract

Objective: To describe the relationships between depression and gender, socio-economic status, education, urban or rural living and coefficient of inbreeding in a well defined relatively homogeneous population. Design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: King Edward Medical College, Lahore from January 1999 to January 2002. Subject and Methods: Subjects were interviewed and diagnosed by a trained psychiatrist and information was collected on various variables. Inbreeding coefficients were calculated from genealogical data. Results: Of 211 persons interviewed, 182 had a lifetime diagnosis of recurrent major depression and 26 had no psychiatric diagnosis. Multiple regression analysis revealed greater severity and earlier age at onset in women than men but no significant correlation of severity or age at onset with socioeconomic status, urban versus rural living or coefficient of inbreeding. Conclusion: This appears to be a genetically homogenous sub-type of depression and further genetic studies may reveal underlying genetic risk factors.