Depression strongly associated with higher long-term risk of early death

Despite an increase in awareness of mental illness, depression remains strongly associated with a higher long-term risk of early death according to results from the 60-year Stirling County Study, published recently in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Furthermore, this study identifies an increased risk for women in recent years. The Stirling County Study began in 1952 in Atlantic Canada and is recognized as one of the first community-based studies on mental illness. The international team of researchers analyzed 60 years of mental health data on 3410 adults during 3 periods (1952–1967, 1968–1990 and 1991–2011) from a region in Atlantic Canada. ...