Multimorbidity and the risk of depression: a systematic review of cohort studies.
Jingjing Wu, Keying Xu, Ping Jiang et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review evaluated the longitudinal association between multimorbidity and the risk of developing depression, analyzing 17 cohort studies. The findings indicate that multimorbidity is consistently linked to an increased risk of depression, with the risk escalating alongside the number of chronic conditions. Notably, cardiovascular-metabolic and respiratory-related multimorbidity patterns showed the strongest associations.
Key findings
- Multimorbidity was associated with an increased risk of depression across 17 cohort studies.
- The risk of depression increased with the number of chronic conditions present.
- Cardiovascular-metabolic and respiratory-related multimorbidity patterns showed the most consistent associations with depression.
- Increasing multimorbidity trajectories may correlate with a higher risk of subsequent depression.
Why it matters
Understanding the relationship between multimorbidity and depression is crucial for clinicians, as it highlights the need for comprehensive patient assessments. Identifying high-risk multimorbidity patterns can inform early interventions and improve patient outcomes.