ABSTRACT. Presents results from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam regarding the prevalence of both major (MaD) and minor depression (MiD) and age-related shifts in the patterns of associations with both vulnerability and stress. A random sample of 3,056 adults (aged 55-85 yrs) was obtained from 3 regions in the Netherlands. The prevalence of MaD was 2.02% and that of MiD, 12.9%. 14.9% had clinically relevant levels of depressive symptoms. Except in the youngest age group, women had higher prevalence rates for both MaD and MiD. Rising rates of depression with age were only found for women. Bivariate associations of both MaD and MiD with a broad range of risk factors did not differ dramatically between the sexes or age groups. Results suggest that MaD in the elderly is more often the exacerbation of a chronic mood disturbance, with roots in long-standing vulnerability, while MiD is more often a reaction to the stress encountered in later life.
