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Remission from depression is delayed in adults who have experienced childhood physical abuse or parental addictions, according to a new study by University of Toronto researchers.

The study, published this week in the journal , examined a range of factors associated with remission in a sample of 1,128 depressed Canadian adults, drawn from the National Population Health Survey. Depressed individuals were followed every other year until remission occurred, for up to 12 years.

“Our findings indicated that most people bounce back. In fact, three-quarters of individuals were no longer depressed after two years,” said Professor Emeriti Tahany M. Gadalla, the study's co-author. However, Gadalla said not everyone recovered at the same rate.

“Early adversities have far-reaching consequences," said lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Sandra Rotman Chair at U of T's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. "The average time to recovery from depression was nine months longer for adults who had been physically abused during their childhood and about five months longer for those whose parents had addiction problems.”

Many studies have shown that childhood abuse and parental addictions make people more vulnerable to depression, said co-author and master of social work graduate Marla Battiston. “Our research highlights that these factors also slow the recovery time among those who become depressed.”

Although this study could not determine why childhood adversities are associated with poor depression outcomes, the researchers speculated that negative experiences may interrupt the normal development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which affects stress regulation.

“In many studies, adult depression has been characterized by HPA axis hyperactivity,” said co-author and recent PhD graduate Sarah Brennenstuhl. “This link is an important avenue for future research.”

Dominic Ali is a writer with University Relations at the University of Toronto.