A longitudinal study of depression, anxiety, substance use and cognitive change: PATH Through Life Wave 3

PATH Through Life研究是一项关于抑郁、焦虑、酒精和药物使用的纵向研究。它也是一项关于正常认知发展、轻度认知障碍和痴呆的研究。PATH涉及三组成年人，基线时年龄分别为20-24岁、40-44岁和60-64岁。每隔四年对他们进行一次跟踪调查。该申请旨在为研究的第3波提供资金，这将允许对基线样本进行8年的随访。其主要目的是发现抑郁、焦虑、药物滥用和认知老化的生物和心理过程之间的关系;确定造成这些疾病的社会人口因素，并更充分地量化精神疾病和认知能力下降的社会和经济后果。这些后果包括劳动力参与率降低、关系破裂、家庭和照顾者负担、自杀企图、使用保健服务和需要社会福利。第三波还将侧重于过渡到父母，生育和心理健康，更年期和退休。将确定影响健康老龄化和晚年认知能力下降的早期和中期成年因素。获得的信息涉及身体健康、健康习惯、社交网络、就业和工作压力、生活方式活动、个性、家庭结构、身体机能和认知能力。也获得了DNA，最老的队列的子样本也参与了脑部MRI的研究。纵向分析是区分疾病原因并跟踪其在个体内发展的唯一方法。适宜卫生技术方案的独特之处在于其狭窄的年龄组设计和广泛的措施，使人们能够详细了解精神健康和疾病的途径，并确定如何预防精神疾病和痴呆症。

The PATH Through Life study is a longitudinal study of depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug use. It is also a study of normal cognitive development, mild cognitive impairment and dementia. PATH involves three cohorts of adults who were aged 20-24, 40-44 and 60-64 at baseline. They are followed up at four yearly intervals. This application seeks funding for Wave 3 of the study, which will allow for 8 years of follow-up of the baseline sample to be conducted. The key aims are to discover the relationships between biological and psychological processes in depression, anxiety, substance abuse and cognitive ageing; to identify the socio-demographic factors contributing to these disorders, and to quantify more fully the range of social and economic consequences of mental illness and cognitive decline. Such consequences include reduced workforce participation, relationship breakdown, family and carer burden, suicide attempts, use of health services and need for social welfare. Wave 3 will also focus on transitions into parenthood, fertility and mental health, menopause, and retirement. Factors in early and mid-adulthood that influence healthy ageing and cognitive decline in late life will be identified. Information is obtained on physical health, health habits , social networks, employment and work stress, lifestyle activities, personality, family structure, physical function and cognitive performance. DNA has also been obtained and a sub-sample of the oldest cohort also participate in a study of brain MRIs. Longitudinal analysis is the only means of distinguishing the causes of disorders and tracking their development within individuals. PATH is unique in its narrow age-group design and breadth of measures, allowing for detailed understanding of the pathways to mental health and illness, and for identification of how to prevent mental illness and dementia.