Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40663634›Full record

ArticlePsychological science2025

Terminal Increases in Depressive Symptoms in a Multinational Twin Consortium.

Andrew J Petkus, Chandra A Reynolds, Vibeke S Catts, Kaare Christensen, Deborah Finkel, Marianne Nygaard, Perminder S Sachdev, Nancy L Pedersen, Margaret Gatz

Abstract readTwin Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Psychological science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Andrew J PetkusDepartment of Neurology, University of Southern California.ORCID 0000-0002-7770-0123
Chandra A ReynoldsInstitute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder.
Vibeke S CattsCentre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Sydney.
Kaare ChristensenThe Danish Twin Registry, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.
Deborah FinkelCenter for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California.
Marianne NygaardThe Danish Twin Registry, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.
Perminder S SachdevCentre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Sydney.ORCID 0000-0002-9595-3220
Nancy L PedersenDepartment of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet.
Margaret GatzCenter for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California.ORCID 0000-0002-1071-9970

Funding

TRAJECTORIES OF MORTALITY IN CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANSP01AG008761 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES · PI ROACH, DEBORAH A · 1990 to 2008
$17.5M
Clarifying risk and protective factors for dementia with the Interplay of Genes and Environment in Multiple Studies (IGEMS) consortiumR01AG060470 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI GATZ, MARGARET, PEDERSEN, NANCY L · 2018 to 2022
$3.6M
Differences in the association of education with ADRD across countries, historical eras, and men and women.R01AG081248 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI DEBORAH G FINKEL, Brian K. Finch · 2024 to 2026
$3.6M
SES health gradients in late life: testing models of gene-environment interplay in an international twin consortiumR01AG059329 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI FINCH, BRIAN K., GATZ, MARGARET · 2018 to 2022
$2.9M
GENETIC &ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES--BIOBEHAVIORAL AGINGR01AG010175 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI PEDERSEN, NANCY L · 1992 to 2006
$2.8M
NIA NIH HHS P01 AG008761NIA NIH HHS R01 AG010175NIA NIH HHS R01 AG059329NIA NIH HHS R01 AG060470NIA NIH HHS R01 AG081248
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In later older adulthood, individuals report increased depressive symptoms, whereas gender differences in depressive symptoms narrow. We evaluated whether terminal decline (i.e., accelerated worsening in proximity to death) explained these patterns. We examined the longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms in 2,411 participants (baseline age: 29-95 years) from the Interplay of Genes and Environments Across Multiple Studies consortium representing three countries (Sweden, Denmark, and Australia). Joint modeling revealed that individuals reporting larger annual increases in depressive symptoms after age 70 were at increased risk of death. Piecewise linear multilevel models with random changepoints revealed accelerated increases in depressive symptoms approximately 4 years before death. Co-twin control analyses with 98 twin pairs found that the deceased twin had significantly larger accelerations in depressive symptoms compared with the surviving twin. Men experienced more severe mortality-related increases compared with women. Terminal decline partially explains the increase in depressive symptoms in later older adulthood.

Indexed as

DepressionAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAustraliaDenmarkFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedSex FactorsSwedenagingdeath and dyingdepressive symptomsterminal declinetwins

Identifiers

PMID40663634
PMCPMC12834333

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.