Ball EL, Morillo L, Poyner E, McIntosh AM, Iveson MH. Cognitive ability in early life and risk of depression in adulthood: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
J Affect Disord 2024;
352:498-508. [PMID:
38369261 DOI:
10.1016/j.jad.2024.02.059]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
There is an established association between cognitive ability and risk of depression, though the direction of this association is unclear. Measuring cognitive ability in childhood, prior to the diagnosis of depression, could help to understand whether childhood cognitive ability is associated with a later diagnosis of depression. This systematic review and meta-analysis explored the association between childhood cognitive ability and risk of depression in adulthood.
METHODS
We searched five databases to January 2024. We included studies that assessed cognitive ability in childhood (<18 years) and depression in adulthood. We excluded studies with very specific populations. We pooled each study's most-adjusted correlation coefficient in a random-effects meta-analysis. When studies reported a dichotomous outcome (depression/no depression), we converted the effect size to a correlation coefficient. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore sources of heterogeneity.
RESULTS
18 articles (19 cohorts) were included. There was no association between childhood cognitive ability and depression in adulthood (20 sample populations, N = 45,786, r = -0.04, 95 % CI = -0.09 to 0.01, p = 0.09). Neither age at cognitive assessment, length of follow-up, using a continuous/categorical measure of depression, or sex, significantly influenced the association. We rated most studies as having moderate risk of bias.
LIMITATIONS
We limited the literature search to studies written in English. Existing studies were also heterogeneous, often adjusting for a variety of covariates.
CONCLUSIONS
Our meta-analysis found no association between childhood cognitive ability and depression in adulthood. Future, longitudinal population-level studies should endeavour to control for potential mediators across the life-course (e.g., demographic and environmental factors).
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