Investigating the link between early life stress and multiple long-term health conditions

EarlyCause - causative mechanisms & integrative models linking early life stress to psycho-cardio-metabolic multi-morbidity

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN44060592

Enrollment

70000

Registered

2020-07-15

Start date

1966-01-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2024-07-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Multi-morbidity between unipolar depression, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease Not Applicable

Interventions

The EarlyCause study will leverage harmonised data from a set of human population studies to examine the relationship between ELS and multi-morbidity across the lifespan, identify potential molecular

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Current inclusion criteria as of 28/12/2023: The inclusion criteria are the same as those of the population studies included in EarlyCause: 1. Generation R: Population-based sample of children 2. ALSPAC: Born of a mother resident in former Avon health authority, expected data of delivery between 1st April 1991 and 31st December 1992 3. NFBCs: Pregnant mothers living in the two northernmost province of Finland (Oulu and Lapland). NFBC-1966 included all mothers with expected date of delivery between 1st of January to 31st December 1966 and their offspring with data at birth, 31 and 46 years of age. NFBC-1986 included mothers with expected date of delivery between July 1985 to June 1986 and their offspring with data at birth and 16 years of age. 4. Rotterdam Study: Adults >55 years 5. NESDA: Adults >18 years with DSM-IV diagnosis of depression (minor or major depression, dysthymia) or anxiety _____ Previous inclusion criteria: The inclusion criteria are the same as those of the population studies included in EarlyCause: 1. Generation R, ALSPAC, NFBC: Healthy children at birth 2. Rotterdam: Adults > 55 3. NESDA: Adults > 18 with DSM-IV diagnosis of depression (minor or major depression, dysthymia) or anxiety

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: For NESDA, severe mental health (e.g. psychosis, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or severe addiction) or disability

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Current primary outcome measures as of 28/12/2023: 1. Depression assessed using the DSM-IV scale at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 2. Diabetes type 2 assessed using the glycated hemoglobin test at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 3. Coronary heart disease assessed using standard cardiovascular exams (biomarkers, imaging, ECG) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 4. In NFBC, depressive symptoms were measured using Youth self report (YSR) scale at 16 years in NFBC1986 and using Hopkins Symptoms checklist (HSCL) at 31 and 46 years in NFBC1966 _____ Previous primary outcome measures: 1. Depression assessed using the DSM-IV scale at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 2. Diabetes type 2 assessed using the glycated hemoglobin test at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 3. Coronary heart disease assessed using standard cardiovascular exams (biomarkers, imaging, ECG) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset)	—

Measure

Time frame

Current primary outcome measures as of 28/12/2023: 1. Depression assessed using the DSM-IV scale at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 2. Diabetes type 2 assessed using the glycated hemoglobin test at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 3. Coronary heart disease assessed using standard cardiovascular exams (biomarkers, imaging, ECG) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 4. In NFBC, depressive symptoms were measured using Youth self report (YSR) scale at 16 years in NFBC1986 and using Hopkins Symptoms checklist (HSCL) at 31 and 46 years in NFBC1966 _____ Previous primary outcome measures: 1. Depression assessed using the DSM-IV scale at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 2. Diabetes type 2 assessed using the glycated hemoglobin test at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 3. Coronary heart disease assessed using standard cardiovascular exams (biomarkers, imaging, ECG) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset)

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Current secondary outcome measures as of 28/12/2023: EarlyCause will re-use the outcomes already measured by the Generation R, ALSPAC, NFBC, Rotterdam and NESDA studies at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the study): 1. Depressive symptoms assessed using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 2. Metabolic health-related measures such as obesity and glycemic traits 3. Hypertension assessed using blood pressure test (mmHg) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) _____ Previous secondary outcome measures:EarlyCause will re-use the outcomes already measured by the Generation R, ALSPAC, NFBC, Rotterdam and NESDA studies at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the study): 1. Depressive symptoms assessed using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 2. Glucose level assessed using glycated hemoglobin test at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 3. Hypertension assessed using blood pressure test (mmHg) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset)	—

Measure

Time frame

Current secondary outcome measures as of 28/12/2023: EarlyCause will re-use the outcomes already measured by the Generation R, ALSPAC, NFBC, Rotterdam and NESDA studies at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the study): 1. Depressive symptoms assessed using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 2. Metabolic health-related measures such as obesity and glycemic traits 3. Hypertension assessed using blood pressure test (mmHg) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) _____ Previous secondary outcome measures:EarlyCause will re-use the outcomes already measured by the Generation R, ALSPAC, NFBC, Rotterdam and NESDA studies at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the study): 1. Depressive symptoms assessed using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 2. Glucose level assessed using glycated hemoglobin test at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset) 3. Hypertension assessed using blood pressure test (mmHg) at each round of data collection (every 2-5 years depending on the dataset)

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Countries

England, Finland, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Contacts

Public ContactCristian Izquierdo Morcillo

c.izquierdo@ub.eduNone provided

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026