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Background: The effect of an intervention based on Mediterranean diet on reducing recurrence risk or subsyndromal depressive symptoms in recovered depressed patients has not been explored. Methods: The PREDIDEP study was a two-year randomized trial designed to assess the effect of the Mediterranean Diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil on depression recurrence. At baseline and at four, eight, 16, 20, and 24 months of follow-up, depressive symptoms were evaluated through the Beck Depression inventory. Cox regression analysis was fitted to assess the role of dietary intervention on the risk of depression recurrence. Mixed effects linear models were used to assess changes in depressive subsyndromal symptoms according to the intervention. Results: After two years of intervention, the dietary intervention group (n = 103) compared to the control group (n = 93) showed no differences regarding depression recurrence risk as main outcome. As secondary outcomes, an improvement of depressive symptoms was yielded at four (−2.15; 95% CI = −4.00 to −0.29) and eight months (−2.42; 95% CI = −4.17 to −0.67) in the intervention group, with no changes in control group. Moreover, at 20 months, significant differences were found between groups (−3.35; 95% CI = −6.08 to −0.61). Conclusions: An intervention with Mediterranean diet in patients with previous depressive episodes might contribute to the reduction of depressive subsyndromal symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To identify risk factors for eating disorders. Methods. A community cohort study was conducted in Navarra, Spain. A region-wide representative sample of 2862 girls who were 12 to 21 years of age completed the Eating Attitudes Test (40-item version) and other questionnaires in 1997. Girls who scored high in the Eating Attitudes Test-40 were interviewed by a psychiatrist who applied Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria to diagnose prevalent cases of eating disorders. Girls who were free of any eating disorder in 1997 were reassessed after 18 months of follow-up using the same methods. Results. Ninety new cases of eating disorders according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria were identified during the follow-up. In the multivariate logistic analysis, a higher risk of incident eating disorder was found for several exposures assessed at the beginning of follow-up, such as younger age, usually eating alone (odds ratio [OR]: 2.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.9-4.6), and frequently reading girls' magazines or listening to radio programs (OR: 2.1; 1.2-3.8 for those most frequently using both media). No independent association was found for television viewing or socioeconomic status. A marital status of parents different from "being married" was associated with a significantly higher risk in the multivariate analysis (OR: 2.0; 1.1-3.5). Conclusions. Our results support the role of mass media influences and parental marital status in the onset of eating disorders. The habit of eating alone should be considered as a warning sign of eating disorders. Pediatrics 2003;111:315-320; eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, mass media, parental., ABBREVIATIONS. ED, eating disorder; EAT, Eating Attitudes Test; DSM-IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition; AN, anorexia nervosa; BN, bulimia nervosa; ED-NOS, eating disorder not otherwise specified; [...]

Research indicates that eating disorders are strongly associated with neuroticism and low self-esteem. Data were obtained from studies on 2,862 girls and young women between the ages of 12 and 21 using multivariable logistic regression models to analyze results.

Abstract Background Depression assessment in population studies is usually based on depressive symptoms scales. However, the use of scales could lead to the choice of an arbitrary cut-off point depending on the sample characteristics and on the patient diagnosis. Thus, the use of a medical diagnosis of depression could be a more appropriate approach. Objective To validate a self-reported physician diagnosis of depression using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I) as Gold Standard and to assess the factors associated to a valid self-reported diagnosis. Methods The SUN Project is a cohort study based on university graduates followed-up through postal questionnaires. The response to the question included in the questionnaire: Have you ever been diagnosed of depression by a physician? was compared to that obtained through the SCID-I applied by a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist. The percentages of confirmed depression and non-depression were assessed for the overall sample and according to several characteristics. Logistic regression models were fitted to ascertain the association between different factors and a correct classification regarding depression status. Results The percentage of confirmed depression was 74.2%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 63.3–85.1. Out of 42 participants who did not report a depression diagnosis in the questionnaire, 34 were free of the disease (%confirmed non-depression = 81.1%; 95% CI = 69.1–92.9). The probability of being a true positive was higher among ex-smokers and non-smokers and among those overweight or obese but the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion The validity of a self-reported diagnosis of depression in the SUN cohort is adequate. Thus, this question about depression diagnosis could be used in further investigations regarding this disease in this graduate cohort study.

This article examines the relationship between eating disorders and neuroticism and low self-esteem. The authors argue neurotic personality traits increas the risk factor for eating disorders more than low self-esteem, yet both are important determinants.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the association of the Mediterranean-DASH diet intervention for neurodegenerative delay (MIND) diet and the Mediterranean diet (and their components), and depression risk. Methods: We followed-up (median 10.4 years) 15,980 adults initially free of depression at baseline or in the first 2 years of follow-up. Food consumption was measured at baseline through a validated food-frequency questionnaire, and was used to compute adherence to the MIND and the Mediterranean diets. Relationships between these two diets and incident depression were assessed through Cox regression models. Results: We identified 666 cases of incident depression. Comparing the highest versus the lowest quartiles of adherence, we found no association of the MIND diet and incident depression. This relation was statistically significant for the Mediterranean diet {hazard ratio (HR) 0.75, [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.61, 0.94]; p < 0.01}, although with departure from linearity. A reduced depression risk was associated with higher consumption of both fruits and nuts [HR 0.82 (95% CI 0.69, 0.96); p = 0.02], moderate nuts consumption [HR 0.77 (95% CI 0.64, 0.93); p = 0.01], and avoidance of fast/fried food [HR 0.63 (95% CI 0.41, 0.96); p = 0.03]. Conclusions: The Mediterranean diet was associated with reduced depression risk, but we found no evidence of such an association for the MIND diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]