The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA): rationale, objectives and methods

TLDR

The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) aims to describe the long‑term course and consequences of depressive and anxiety disorders and to integrate biological and psychosocial research paradigms within an epidemiological framework to examine predictors of their long‑term course. NESDA is an eight‑year longitudinal cohort of 2,981 adults aged 18‑65, including 1,701 with current depression/anxiety, 907 at risk or with lifetime diagnoses, and 373 healthy controls, recruited from the general population, primary care, and mental health services, with baseline assessments and follow‑ups at 1, 2, 4, and 8 years. The study is expected to yield detailed insights into predictors of the long‑term course of depressive and anxiety disorders and to inform more effective prevention and treatment. © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

Abstract The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) is a multi‐site naturalistic cohort study to: (1) describe the long‐term course and consequences of depressive and anxiety disorders, and (2) to integrate biological and psychosocial research paradigms within an epidemiological approach in order to examine (interaction between) predictors of the long‐term course and consequences. Its design is an eight‐year longitudinal cohort study among 2981 participants aged 18 through 65 years. The sample consists of 1701 persons with a current (six‐month recency) diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety disorder, 907 persons with life‐time diagnoses or at risk because of a family history or subthreshold depressive or anxiety symptoms, and 373 healthy controls. Recruitment took place in the general population, in general practices (through a three‐stage screening procedure), and in mental health organizations in order to recruit persons reflecting various settings and developmental stages of psychopathology. During a four‐hour baseline assessment including written questionnaires, interviews, a medical examination, a cognitive computer task and collection of blood and saliva samples, extensive information was gathered about key (mental) health outcomes and demographic, psychosocial, clinical, biological and genetic determinants. Detailed assessments will be repeated after one, two, four and eight years of follow‐up. The findings of NESDA are expected to provide more detailed insight into (predictors of) the long‐term course of depressive and anxiety disorders in adults. Besides its scientific relevance, this may contribute to more effective prevention and treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.