Wender : Biological Explanations Of Depression

Question 1

Pps?

Answer 1

Adoptive and biological relatives of 71 adoptees

Mean at of 43.7 who had a mood disorder

71 adult adoptees - mean age of 44 - psychologically normal

Adults had been removed from their mothers at an early age

Question 2

Procedure ?

Answer 2

Psychiatric evaluations or the relatives were made by independent blind diagnoses of mental hospital and other official records

Question 3

Results )

Answer 3

There was an 8 fold increase in unipolar depression among the biological relatives of the adults and a 15 fold increase in suicide among the biological relatives of the adopted adults

Question 4

Conclusions ?

Answer 4

There is a significant genetic link between unipolar depression and suicide

Question 5

Aim?

Answer 5

To investigate the contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the aetiology of mood disorders