Risk of Use of Antidepressants Among Children and Young Adults Exposed to the Death of a Parent

Charlotte Weiling Appel; Christoffer Johansen; Jane Christensen; Kirsten Frederiksen; Henrik Hjalgrim; Susanne Oksbjerg Dalton; Annemarie Dencker; Jes Dige; Per Bøge; Atle Dyregrov; Ole Abildgaard Mikkelsen; Lasse Wegener Lund; Mette Terp Høybye; Pernille Envold Bidstrup

doi:10.1097/EDE.0000000000000481

Risk of Use of Antidepressants Among Children and Young Adults Exposed to the Death of a Parent

Charlotte Weiling Appel, Christoffer Johansen, Jane Christensen, Kirsten Frederiksen, Henrik Hjalgrim, Susanne Oksbjerg Dalton, Annemarie Dencker, Jes Dige, Per Bøge, Atle Dyregrov, Ole Abildgaard Mikkelsen, Lasse Wegener Lund, Mette Terp Høybye, Pernille Envold Bidstrup

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Insight into how early parental death impact psychological well-being in children and young adults is important to developing suitable supportive care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between early parental death before the child reaches age 30 years and subsequent use of antidepressants.

METHODS: Our nationwide population-based cohort of persons born in Denmark in 1970-1990 with follow-up in the period 1997-2009 comprised 1,124,215 persons, of whom 71,380 were bereaved. We used Poisson models to assess rate ratios for use of antidepressants according to early parental death.

RESULTS: Follow-up yielded 13,074,146 person-years at risk during which 93,347 persons used antidepressants. Persons who experienced early parental death had an increased risk for use of antidepressants (men: risk ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.16, 1.26; women: 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.19, 1.27). We observed stronger associations for women whose parent died by suicide than from other causes, who lost their mother rather than their father, and who lost a parent early rather than later. The increased risk remained more than 2 years from the loss.

CONCLUSIONS: Persons who lost a parent had an increased risk of use of antidepressants. Subgroups with particularly increased risk, included women, who were bereaved by suicides, who experienced loss of a mother, and who were bereaved when young. The risk of initiating antidepressant use was increased both immediately after the loss and later. Our results support that early parental death severely affects children`s psychological well-being.

Original language	English
Journal	Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
Volume	27
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	578-585
Number of pages	8
ISSN	1044-3983
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000481
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2016
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Journal Article

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1097/EDE.0000000000000481

Cite this

Appel, C. W., Johansen, C., Christensen, J., Frederiksen, K., Hjalgrim, H., Dalton, S. O., Dencker, A., Dige, J., Bøge, P., Dyregrov, A., Mikkelsen, O. A., Lund, L. W., Høybye, M. T., & Bidstrup, P. E. (2016). Risk of Use of Antidepressants Among Children and Young Adults Exposed to the Death of a Parent. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 27(4), 578-585. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000481

Appel, CW, Johansen, C, Christensen, J, Frederiksen, K, Hjalgrim, H, Dalton, SO, Dencker, A, Dige, J, Bøge, P, Dyregrov, A, Mikkelsen, OA, Lund, LW, Høybye, MT & Bidstrup, PE 2016, 'Risk of Use of Antidepressants Among Children and Young Adults Exposed to the Death of a Parent', Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 578-585. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000481

@article{9905db1a9f744c6288e45b85db8cb095,

title = "Risk of Use of Antidepressants Among Children and Young Adults Exposed to the Death of a Parent",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Insight into how early parental death impact psychological well-being in children and young adults is important to developing suitable supportive care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between early parental death before the child reaches age 30 years and subsequent use of antidepressants.METHODS: Our nationwide population-based cohort of persons born in Denmark in 1970-1990 with follow-up in the period 1997-2009 comprised 1,124,215 persons, of whom 71,380 were bereaved. We used Poisson models to assess rate ratios for use of antidepressants according to early parental death.RESULTS: Follow-up yielded 13,074,146 person-years at risk during which 93,347 persons used antidepressants. Persons who experienced early parental death had an increased risk for use of antidepressants (men: risk ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.16, 1.26; women: 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.19, 1.27). We observed stronger associations for women whose parent died by suicide than from other causes, who lost their mother rather than their father, and who lost a parent early rather than later. The increased risk remained more than 2 years from the loss.CONCLUSIONS: Persons who lost a parent had an increased risk of use of antidepressants. Subgroups with particularly increased risk, included women, who were bereaved by suicides, who experienced loss of a mother, and who were bereaved when young. The risk of initiating antidepressant use was increased both immediately after the loss and later. Our results support that early parental death severely affects children`s psychological well-being.",

keywords = "Journal Article",

author = "Appel, {Charlotte Weiling} and Christoffer Johansen and Jane Christensen and Kirsten Frederiksen and Henrik Hjalgrim and Dalton, {Susanne Oksbjerg} and Annemarie Dencker and Jes Dige and Per B{\o}ge and Atle Dyregrov and Mikkelsen, {Ole Abildgaard} and Lund, {Lasse Wegener} and H{\o}ybye, {Mette Terp} and Bidstrup, {Pernille Envold}",

year = "2016",

month = jul,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1097/EDE.0000000000000481",

language = "English",

volume = "27",

pages = "578--585",

journal = "Epidemiology",

issn = "1044-3983",

publisher = "Lippincott Williams & Wilkins",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Risk of Use of Antidepressants Among Children and Young Adults Exposed to the Death of a Parent

AU - Appel, Charlotte Weiling

AU - Johansen, Christoffer

AU - Christensen, Jane

AU - Frederiksen, Kirsten

AU - Hjalgrim, Henrik

AU - Dalton, Susanne Oksbjerg

AU - Dencker, Annemarie

AU - Dige, Jes

AU - Bøge, Per

AU - Dyregrov, Atle

AU - Mikkelsen, Ole Abildgaard

AU - Lund, Lasse Wegener

AU - Høybye, Mette Terp

AU - Bidstrup, Pernille Envold

PY - 2016/7/1

Y1 - 2016/7/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: Insight into how early parental death impact psychological well-being in children and young adults is important to developing suitable supportive care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between early parental death before the child reaches age 30 years and subsequent use of antidepressants.METHODS: Our nationwide population-based cohort of persons born in Denmark in 1970-1990 with follow-up in the period 1997-2009 comprised 1,124,215 persons, of whom 71,380 were bereaved. We used Poisson models to assess rate ratios for use of antidepressants according to early parental death.RESULTS: Follow-up yielded 13,074,146 person-years at risk during which 93,347 persons used antidepressants. Persons who experienced early parental death had an increased risk for use of antidepressants (men: risk ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.16, 1.26; women: 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.19, 1.27). We observed stronger associations for women whose parent died by suicide than from other causes, who lost their mother rather than their father, and who lost a parent early rather than later. The increased risk remained more than 2 years from the loss.CONCLUSIONS: Persons who lost a parent had an increased risk of use of antidepressants. Subgroups with particularly increased risk, included women, who were bereaved by suicides, who experienced loss of a mother, and who were bereaved when young. The risk of initiating antidepressant use was increased both immediately after the loss and later. Our results support that early parental death severely affects children`s psychological well-being.

AB - BACKGROUND: Insight into how early parental death impact psychological well-being in children and young adults is important to developing suitable supportive care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between early parental death before the child reaches age 30 years and subsequent use of antidepressants.METHODS: Our nationwide population-based cohort of persons born in Denmark in 1970-1990 with follow-up in the period 1997-2009 comprised 1,124,215 persons, of whom 71,380 were bereaved. We used Poisson models to assess rate ratios for use of antidepressants according to early parental death.RESULTS: Follow-up yielded 13,074,146 person-years at risk during which 93,347 persons used antidepressants. Persons who experienced early parental death had an increased risk for use of antidepressants (men: risk ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.16, 1.26; women: 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.19, 1.27). We observed stronger associations for women whose parent died by suicide than from other causes, who lost their mother rather than their father, and who lost a parent early rather than later. The increased risk remained more than 2 years from the loss.CONCLUSIONS: Persons who lost a parent had an increased risk of use of antidepressants. Subgroups with particularly increased risk, included women, who were bereaved by suicides, who experienced loss of a mother, and who were bereaved when young. The risk of initiating antidepressant use was increased both immediately after the loss and later. Our results support that early parental death severely affects children`s psychological well-being.

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000481

DO - 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000481

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27007643

SN - 1044-3983

VL - 27

SP - 578

EP - 585

JO - Epidemiology

JF - Epidemiology

IS - 4

ER -

Risk of Use of Antidepressants Among Children and Young Adults Exposed to the Death of a Parent

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this