1. The Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) Study: online recruitment into the largest recontactable study of depression and anxiety
- Author
-
Allan H. Young, Monika McAtarsney-Kovacs, Elisavet Palaiologou, Megan Skelton, Jennifer Leng, Gursharan Kalsi, Anna Spaul, Shivani Parikh, Bethany D. Mason, Charles Curtis, Henry C. Rogers, Bronte L. Sykes, Alicia J. Peel, David Veale, Janet Wingrove, Susannah C.B. Curzons, Thalia C. Eley, Matthew Hotopf, Molly R. Davies, Katharine A. Rimes, Evangelos Vassos, Carmine M. Pariante, Gerome Breen, Christopher Hübel, Megan Hammond Bennett, Jonathan R. I. Coleman, Anamaria Brailean, Eddy L.A. Suarez, Dina Monssen, Katrina A. S. Davis, Katie M White, Anthony J. Cleare, and Kimberley Goldsmith
- Subjects
Medical record ,Stressor ,medicine.disease ,Comorbidity ,Mental health ,030227 psychiatry ,3. Good health ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine ,Anxiety ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Young adult ,medicine.symptom ,Psychology ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,Psychopathology ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
BackgroundAnxiety and depression are common, debilitating and costly. These disorders are influenced by multiple risk factors, from genes to psychological vulnerabilities and environmental stressors but research is hampered by a lack of sufficiently large comprehensive studies. We are recruiting 40,000 individuals with lifetime depression or anxiety, with broad assessment of risks to facilitate future research.MethodsThe Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) Study (www.gladstudy.org.uk) recruits individuals with depression or anxiety into the NIHR Mental Health BioResource. Participants invited to join the study (via media campaigns) provide demographic, environmental and genetic data, and consent for medical record linkage and recontact.ResultsOnline recruitment was effective; 41,892 consented and 26,877 participants completed the questionnaire by July 2019. Participants’ questionnaire data identified very high rates recurrent depression, severe anxiety and comorbidity. Participants reported high rates of treatment receipt. The age profile of sample is biased toward young adults, with higher recruitment of females and the better educated, especially at younger ages.DiscussionThis paper describes the study methodology and descriptive data for GLAD, which represents a large, recontactable resource that will enable future research into risks, outcomes and treatment for anxiety and depression.HighlightsOnline recruitment of 40,000 individuals with lifetime depression or anxiety (77 characters)Detailed online phenotyping combined with genetic and clinical data (66 characters)The study sample is severe, highly comorbid, with chronic psychopathology (62 characters)The study protocol enables recall of participants for future research and trials (82 characters)The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, NIHR, Department of Health or King’s College London
- Published
- 2019