Citation

Bonde JPE, Utzon-Frank N, Bertelsen M, Borritz M, Eller NH, Nordentoft M, Olesen K, Rod NH, Rugulies R. Br. J. Psychiatry 2016; 208(4): 330-336.

Affiliation

J. P. Bonde, DMSc, N. Utzon-Frank, MD, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital; M. Bertelsen, PhD, Danish Veteran Centre, Copenhagen; M. Borritz, PhD, N. H. Eller, DMSc, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital; M. Nordentoft, DMSc, Psychiatric Centre Bispebjerg, Bispebjerg University Hospital; K. Olesen, PhD, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, and Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen; N. H. Rod, DMSc, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen; R. Rugulies, PhD, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, National Research Centre for the Working Environment, and Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

10.1192/bjp.bp.114.157859

PMID

26892850

Abstract

Background: Numerous studies describe the occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder following disasters, but less is known about the risk of major depression.

AIMS: To review the risk of depressive disorder in people surviving disasters and in soldiers returning from military deployment.

METHOD: A systematic literature search combined with reference screening identified 23 controlled epidemiological studies. We used random effects models to compute pooled odds ratios (ORs).

RESULTS: The average OR was significantly elevated following all types of exposures: natural disaster OR = 2.28 (95% CI 1.30-3.98), technological disaster OR = 1.44 (95% CI 1.21-1.70), terrorist acts OR = 1.80 (95% CI 1.38-2.34) and military combat OR = 1.60 (95% CI 1.09-2.35). In a subset of ten high-quality studies OR was 1.41 (95% CI 1.06-1.87).

CONCLUSIONS: Disasters and combat experience substantially increase the risk of depression. Whether psychological trauma per se or bereavement is on the causal path is unresolved.

Language: en