Symptoms of depression and anxiety during adult life: evidence for a decline in prevalence with age

Background. To test the hypothesis that the prevalence, in the general popu lation, of symptoms of depression and anxiety declines with age. Methods. A general population sample of 2725 persons aged 18 to 79 years wa s administered two inventories for current symptoms of depression and anxie ty, together with measures of neuroticism and of exposures that may confer increased risk of such symptoms. Results. Symptoms of depression showed a decline with age in both men and w omen. For anxiety, the decline was statistically significant for women but not consistently so for men. For the risk factors examined, there was a dec line with age in the neuroticism score, the frequency of adverse life event s, being seriously short of money and having had parents who separated or d ivorced. Further analysis showed that the association between age and a dec lining symptom score cannot be entirely attributed to these risk factors, w ith the single exception of neuroticism. The latter is itself likely to be contaminated by current symptoms. Conclusion. Unless these findings are due to bias in the sample of those wh o agreed to participate, they add to the evidence that symptoms of depressi on and to a lesser extent of anxiety decline in prevalence with age. Some r isk factors also decline with age. It now has to be determined if these cro ss-sectional observations are also to be found in longitudinal data; and wh at process may underlie this striking change in mental health during adulth ood.