Simulation of Age-specific Lifetime Prevalence of Major Depression

Abstract

This is a flash video presentation with animation depicting age-specific lifetime prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder. The goal of this project was to explore the puzzling pattern of lifetime prevalence by age - contrary to expectation the lifetime prevalence has been observed to decline with age. This has usually been interpreted as a cohort effect. The simulations (which derive from a steady state incidence-prevalence-mortality model) indicate that the puzzling pattern of declining lifetime prevalence with age does not necessarily represent a cohort effect - the simulations suggest that various factors may contribute: declining incidence with age, recall failure and differential mortality.