Explore the following data resources and select datasets based on key areas of interest. Researchers can request a consultation with our team to help in the process. Get in touch here.
How do I use this website?
Say you have a research question that you want to answer, but you don’t have the right data on hand to do so. You could go out and collect some new data, but doing so will take time, can be incredibly costly, and pose many challenges, especially for investigators early in their careers. Fortunately, there are many high-quality publicly available data sources that collect information on depression and mental health that provide a cost- and time-efficient means of answering research questions.
However, even when using existing datasets researchers must still contend with several challenges: 1) While the data may be publicly-available at no cost, it can take a significant amount of time to sort through the available options and find the right one to answer your question; and 2) once you have identified the appropriate data source, the learning curve can be significant and not all early career investigators may feel prepared to dive into the data themselves. The Data and Design Core is focused on addressing these two issues.
How do I choose the right dataset for my research question?
That depends entirely on the question that you are trying to answer!
There is no perfect dataset. Instead, each data source will have their own strengths and drawbacks. For example, a dataset may have a rigorous, clinically-valid measure of depression, but a limited and non-representative sample which reduces generalizability and statistical power. Alternatively, a study may have a very large, representative sample but the measure of depression may be just a couple of items. How you navigate these trade-offs is a key part of conducting rigorous scientific research.
We have organized the following resources to help you select your dataset based on key areas of interest. If you have any questions, you can also request a consultation with our team to help you in the process.
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Americans' Changing Lives Study
The Americans’ Changing Lives Study is a national study that measures how neighborhoods’, work and social connections affect health through adulthood. Data have been collected in 1986, 1989, 1994, 2001, 2011, 2019 and 2021. Biometric, blood and DNA samples were collected beginning in 2019. Sample sizes for each wave vary from 1,427-3,617 participants.
Study design: Longitudinal cohort design
Data collection methods: In-person interviews; Phone interviews
Measures of depression: CESD-R 11-item scale; CIDI
Other measures: Happiness; Outlook on life; Neighborhood characteristics; Work status & conditions; Disruptive/transformative events; Social connection, support & conflict; Discrimination & harrassment; Stress; Alcohol & tobacco use; Health & mobility limitations; Hypertension; Diabetes; Asthma; Emphysema; COPD; Cardiovascular health; Stroke; Cancer; Arthritis; General health & mobility; Physical activity; Nutrition; Sleep; Insurance status; Healthcare utilization
Notable publications using this data:
Health and Retirement Study
The Health and Retirement Study is a longitudinal panel study of Americans over age 50 that seeks to describe the experiences of America’s aging population, including healthcare, income, assets, employment and other needs. Approximately 20,000 participants are interviewed every two years, dating back to 1992. Biomarker data has been collected since 2012.
Study design: Nationally representative, longitudinal cohort design
Data collection methods: In-person interviewing; biomarker data
Measures of depression: CES-D scale (8-item scale); Past-year history of MD from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form. Also: Self-report physician diagnosis of emotional or mental health problems; Treatment of depression
Other measures: Vision; Hearing; Hypertension; Diabetes; Cancer; Lung problems; Cardiovascular programs; Stroke; Arthritis; Memory; Alzheimer’s & dementia; Diabetes; Sleep; Oral health; Alcohol & tobacco use; Psychiatric issues; Anxiety; Physical activity; Cognition; Healthcare utilization; Healthcare expenditures; Functional limitations; Family structure & relationships; Housing; Assets & debt; Income; Employment; Social Security & Disability; Relationship history; Internet use; Social relationships; Hobbies; Life satisfaction; Height; Weight; Walking speed; Balance; Blood pressure; Hearing; Hand strength; Saliva sample
Notable publications using this data:
- M. Lohman et al: Sex Differences in the Construct Overlap of Frailty and Depression: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study
- A.N. Niles et al: Gender differences in longitudinal relationships between depression and anxiety symptoms and inflammation in the health and retirement study
- K. Oi: Inter-connected trends in cognitive aging and depression: Evidence from the health and retirement study
- P.G. Lee et al: The Co-Occurrence of Chronic Diseases and Geriatric Syndromes: The Health and Retirement Study
National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97) is a longitudinal study that follows the lives of a nationally representative sample of nearly 9,000 people living in the U.S. who were born between 1980-1984, and were between the ages of 12-17 at the time of the first interview in 1997. Cohorts were interviewed annually between until 2011, and have since been interviewed every other year. Interviews assess a range of topics including labor market experiences, health, education, income, relationship history, attitudes, among others.
Study design: Nationally representative, longitudinal design; In-person and telephone interviewing
Measures of depression: CESD-R 7-item scale; MHI 5-item scale; CES-D (round 19 and beyond)
Other measures: Educational status; Test scores; Employment status; Wages; Work satisfaction; Family composition & background; Marital status; Parenting status; Childcare arrangements; Income; Assets & debts; General health; Height & weight; Health insurance status; Vision; Hearing; Diabetes; Asthma; Heart condition; Epilepsy; Cancer; Eating disorders; Health service utilization; Significant stressors; Chronic pain; Workplace injuries; Health knowledge; Religious attitudes; Political participation; Community participation; Computer & internet use
Notable publications using this data:
- J. Prause and D. Dooley: Favourable Employment Status Change and Psychological Depression: A Two-year Follow-up Analysis of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
- I.A. Silver et al: Illegal Drug Use, Depressive Symptoms, and General Health: Exploring Co-occurrence across 11 Years in a National Sample
- A. Wise et al: The Best of Intentions: A Structural Analysis of the Association between Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Unintended Pregnancy in a Sample of Mothers from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1979)