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.
Refereed
Yes
Sponsorship
The project from which this simulation derives was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Patten is a Senior Health Scholar with the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.