Early loss of mother or father predicts depression in old age

The independent predictive roles of early losses, personality traits, acute losses and long‐term stress situations for the occurrence of depression in elderly Finns were described using a longitudinal design. The persons non‐depressed in an epidemiological study in 1984–85 were interviewed in 1989–90 (N=679) and the occurrence of depression was determined according to DSM III‐criteria. Logistic regression models were used to assess the independent roles of the hypothesized factors as predictors. An early loss of the mother among men and an early loss of the father among women independently predicted the occurrence of depression in logistic regression models. Older age in men, and a higher number of symptoms, the occurrence of previous depression and not living alone in women were also independent predictors. In men, impaired functional abilities and poor self‐perceived health tended to predict depression. In conclusion, the psychological trauma which develops upon the experience of an early parental loss contributes to the development of depression even in old age. The role of stressors in life as independent predictors of depression in old age was also ascertained. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.