Depression and cognitive vulnerability

Within a year, about 10% of Norwegian women and 4% of Norwegian men will experience clinical depression. For many, depression is recurrent or chronic, which means that depression can affect individuals for years and often decades of their lives. Depression is a tremendous burden for the affected individuals, but the high prevalence rate, the tendency for recurrence, and the many consequences of the disorder also make depression one of the greatest societal burdens today. For example, mental health issues are the second largest cause of sick leave in Norway.

This research project is a longitudinal study that has been conducted in several rounds since the mid-1990s. In this follow-up study, we are examining, among other things, the long-term effects of depression on cognitive function, such as memory, language, and executive functions. Childhood trauma can be an important cause of mental and physical ill-health, and we want to look at the connection between depression, neuropsychological function, and childhood trauma.

The current research project started in 2021 and is expected to be completed by 2028. The project is funded by the Department of Psychology (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), the Nordic Mensa Fund, and the Thordis and Johannes Gahr Fund for the Advancement of Gerontopsychiatric Research.