[Family history of affective disorders, the gender factor and clinical characteristics of depression].

Objective: Analysis of clinical features of development and course of depression in patients with FH of mood disorders taking into account sex differences.

Material And Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study included patients over 18 years of age with depressive episode/recurrent depressive disorder. Clinical characteristics of depression, presence of comorbid mental illness and family history (FH) information were obtained in a structured clinical interview.

Results: One hundred and seventy-one patients (mean age (M (SD)) 40.87 (15.86) y.o.), including 64.5% of women, were enrolled in the study. FH was revealed in 30.2% of patients. The proportion of FH did not differ in men and women (=0.375). Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was more frequent in FH positive patients (=0.016). Logistic regression also revealed that FH is a risk factor for concomitant GAD (=0.019, OR=2.4). The GLM demonstrated a significant joint effect of FH and sex on the maximum duration of a depressive episode (=0.044), as well on the number of suicide attempts (=0.055) and the number of depressive episodes as a trend (=0.072).

Conclusion: We have demonstrated the specific interaction of FH of mood disorders with sex on clinical course of depression. Thus, the manifestation of a genetic influence on the clinical phenotype of depression can be significantly moderated by sex.