The Relationship between Depression and Non-Suicide Mortality: The Importance of Health Statuses and Health Behaviors

Jarron M. Saint Onge, University of Houston

The link between mortality and depression remains unclear and contested. Some researchers have found that depression serves as an independent risk factor for mortality, while others suggest that the results are ambivalent at best. While most research focuses on the relationship between depression and suicide mortality, fewer studies examine the relationship between depression and non-suicide mortality. Using the 1999 National Health Interview Survey linked to prospective mortality through 2006, I examine how current health statuses and health behaviors explain the relationship between depression and non-suicide mortality. Results indicate a strong relationship between major depression and mortality, that is partially explained through health statuses (bmi, insurance access, mental health visits) and health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, alcohol use).