How strong is the link between depression and death risk? Insights from CDC research

A new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in JAMA reveals a strong association between depression and increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in a diverse, nationally representative sample of US adults. Lifestyle factors were shown to play a role.. Depression is a common mental health disorder globally. Depressive symptoms have been associated with increased cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality, but studies have largely focused on narrow population subgroups.

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005 to 2018, linked with the National Death Index through 2019, researchers analyzed information from adults aged 20 years and older. The study included a total of 23,694 participants, with a balanced gender distribution. The study categorized depressive symptoms into three groups: none or minimal, mild, and moderate to severe. The findings revealed a significant positive association between depressive symptoms and mortality.

For all-cause mortality, individuals with mild depressive symptoms had a 35% higher risk than those with none. This risk increased to 62% for individuals with moderate to severe depressive symptoms. The same pattern emerged for cardiovascular disease mortality.

The study also identified that lifestyle factors could explain 11.0% to 16.1% of the associations between depression and mortality. Factors like feeling tired or having little energy, poor appetite or overeating, and having little interest in doing things were found to be independently associated with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality.

Reference: Zhang Z, Jackson SL, Gillespie C, Merritt R, Yang Q. Depressive Symptoms and Mortality Among US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(10):e2337011. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.37011