VULNERABILITY OF JEWS TO AFFECTIVE-DISORDERS

Objective Psychiatric literature over the past 100 years suggests that Jews are at higher risk for affective disorders than members of other religious groups. To examine these claims, the authors analyzed data from the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment A rea (ECA) study. In addition, the relationships among gender, alcoholi sm and major depression were investigated Method The period prevalence and lifetime rates of DSM-III major depression among Jews, Catholics, Protestants, individuals in other religious groups, and individuals w ith no religious affiliation were examined in the Los Angeles and New Haven, Conn., ECA data. Logistic regression with covariates for site, gender, marital status, and socioeconomic status was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The calculated rates, based on the combined data from ECA study waves 1 and 2 for the white popula tion, were weighted according to the 1980 U.S. population census. Fema le-to-male rate ratios and rates of alcohol abuse/dependence were also obtained. Results. While no differences were found among females, Jew ish males had significantly higher rates of major depression than Cath olics, Protestants, and all non-Jews combined. Jews had a 1:1 female-t o-male ratio for major depression, in contrast to the other religious groups, which approached the universal 2:1 ratio. Rates of alcohol abu se/dependence were inversely related to rates of major depression. Con clusions: The results support only in part the earlier reports that Je ws have higher rates of major depression. The equal gender distributio n of major depression among Jews may be associated with the lower rate of alcoholism among Jewish males.