Cross-sectional analysis of depressive symptom profiles and serum C-reactive protein levels: data from the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort.

Purpose: Individuals with depression exhibit significantly higher levels of systemic inflammation than those without depression, particularly among those with atypical depression. However, this association has been less convincing at the population level among individuals without a formal depression diagnosis but with suggestive symptoms. Our aim was to clarify this association.

Is interpersonal counselling (IPC) sufficient treatment for depression in primary care patients? A pilot study comparing IPC and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT).

Background: Psychotherapeutic treatment is underused in primary care, where even short-term psychotherapy can be perceived as too lengthy and labour-intensive. We tested here for the first time the preliminary efficacy of seven sessions of interpersonal counselling (IPC) by comparison with sixteen sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in regular clinical settings.

Methods: Patients seeking treatment for the first time who met the DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD, mild/moderate) were randomized to either IPC (n=20) or IPT (n=20).

Validation of the Whooley questions and the Beck Depression Inventory in older adults.

Objective: To analyse the psychometric properties of the Whooley questions and the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-21) in older adults with depression and chronic health problems.

Design: A population-based study.

Setting: Community.

Effect of menopause and use of contraceptives/hormone therapy on association of C-reactive protein and depression: a population-based study.

Objective: Unipolar depression has been found to associate with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in men, but findings among women have been conflicting. It has been hypothesized that this would be explained by a different hormonal environment (compared with men) and its changes throughout the lifecycle in women, but until now, the corresponding evidence has been lacking. We investigated the association between CRP levels and depressive symptoms in a population-based study in pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women and, also, whether this association is affected by the use of exogenous hormones (contraceptives and postmenopausal hormone therapy).

C-reactive protein levels and sleep disturbances: observations based on the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort study.

Objective: To investigate whether sleep disturbances are associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at the population level. Elevated CRP levels have been found to accompany sleep disturbances, but evidence so far comes only from limited clinical and experimental studies; epidemiological studies are lacking.

Methods: We utilized the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, whose participants have been followed up to the age of 31 years.

The association between C-reactive protein levels and depression: Results from the northern Finland 1966 birth cohort study.

Background: To investigate whether depressive episodes (previous, current single, and recurrent) are associated in both genders with highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, earlier recommended for risk assessment of cardiovascular disease. The impact of the severity of current single and recurrent depressive episodes on this putative association was also investigated.

Methods: The genetically homogeneous Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort was followed until age 31, when, in a cross-sectional setting (n = 5269), the highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay (hs-EIA) method was used to measure CRP concentration.