Disruptions in childhood parental care as risk factors for major depression in adult women

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the influence of different types of disruptions in childhood parental care before the age of 15 years as r k k factors for major depression in women aged 18 to 44 years. The types of disruptions studied were parental death, parental separation or divorce, other types of loss (i.e. adoption, foster-care, etc.), and prolonged separation from both parents. Potential confounding factors were also examined. Method: The data were obtained from a community probability sample. Case-ness was determined by the use of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) and both the current (one month) and lifetime prevalence periods were con-sidered. Logistic regression was used to model the influence of each factor, singly and adjusted for the influence of other factors, on the risk for major depression. Results: It was found that in this population 17 % had experienced some type of parental loss (parental death 4%, separationsldivorce 10 % and other types of loss 3%) and 11 % had experienced prolonged separation from both parents