Generations of epidemiologists have documented an association between low socio-economic status (SES) and depression (variously defined), but debate continues as to which is the causative factor.

To test the extent to which social causation (low SES causing depression) and social selection (depression causing low SES) processes are in evidence in an inter-generational longitudinal study.

Participants (n=756) were interviewed up to four times over 17 years using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS).

Low parental education was associated with increased risk for offspring depression, even after controlling for parental depression, offspring gender and offspring age. Neither parental nor offspring depression predicted later levels of offspring occupation, education or income.

There is evidence for an effect of parental SES on offspring depression (social causation) but not for an effect of either parental or offspring depression on offspring SES (social selection).

The association between mental health and occupational factors among ambulance personnel has not been thoroughly investigated in the UK.

To identify the prevalence of psychopathology among ambulance personnel and its relationship to personality and exposure to critical incidents.

Data were gathered from ambulance personnel by means of an anonymous questionnaire and standardised measures.

Approximately a third of the sample reported high levels of general psychopathology, burnout and posttraumatic symptoms. Burnout was associated with less job satisfaction, longer time in service, less recovery time between incidents, and more frequent exposure to incidents. Burnout and GHQ–28 caseness were more likely in those who had experienced a particularly disturbing incident in the previous 6 months. Concerns about confidentiality and career prospects deter staff from seeking personal help.

The mental health and emotional well-being of ambulance personnel appear to be compromised by accident and emergency work.

The impact on individual survivors of human rights abuses of testifying before South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has not been established.

To examine the degree to which participation in the TRC is related to current psychiatric status and forgiveness among survivors.

Survivors (n=134) who gave public, closed or no testimony to the TRC completed instruments measuring exposure to human rights abuses, exposure to other traumatic events, current psychiatric status and forgiveness attitudes towards the perpetrator(s).

There was no significant association between TRC participation and current psychiatric status or current forgiveness attitudes, and low forgiveness was associated with poorer psychiatric health.

Truth commissions should form part of, rather than be a substitute for, comprehensive therapeutic interventions for survivors of human rights abuses. Lack of forgiveness may be an important predictor of psychiatric risk in this population.

There are no published reports of cross-cultural equivalence and interrater reliability at the level of individual symptom items assessed by a semi-structured clinical interview employing operationalised clinician ratings.

To assess the cross-cultural clinical equivalence and reliability of a Chinese version of the World Health Organization Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN).

UK-US and Taiwanese groups of psychiatrists used Chinese and English transcripts of videotape interviews of Taiwanese patients to discuss cross-cultural issues and ratings of SCAN items. Item ratings were compared quantitatively individually and pooled by SCAN section.

Chinese equivalents were found for all SCAN items. No between-group differences were found for most individual items, but there were differences for some scaled items. Average agreement between the two groups was 69–100%.

Cross-cultural implementation based on SCAN in Taiwan appears valid.

The UK Government's White Paper Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation included among its targets a reduction in suicide.

To study causes of change in suicide rate over a 30-year period in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Suicide rates and methods, based on coroners' inquest records, were compared over two periods (1961–1965 and 1985–1994) and differences were related to changes in exposure to poisons and prescribed drugs, and to socio-demographic changes.

Demographic and social changes had taken place which would adversely affect suicide rates. However, a dramatic fall was found in the rate for women, and a modest decline in that for men. Reduced exposure to carbon monoxide and to barbiturates coincided with the fall in rates.

Reduced exposure to lethal methods was responsible for the fall in rate in both genders, while the gender difference in favour of women may be related to their preference for non-violent methods or to their being less affected by the social changes.

Open verdicts are often included in with suicides for research purposes and for setting health targets.

To examine similarities and differences in cases defined by the coroner as suicide and open verdicts and the implications of open verdicts for suicide research.

All cases of open and suicide verdicts recorded in the Newcastle Coroner's Court in the period 1985–1994 were compared on demographic and medical parameters.

Open and suicide verdicts had many similarities, differing only in some respects, of which logistic regression identified the most significant to be a suicide note, method used and age.

Open verdicts should be included in all suicide research after excluding cases in which suicide was unlikely. Objective criteria are needed to facilitate comparison between different studies.

Evidence from twin and adoption studies has highlighted the importance of gene-environment interaction in the aetiology of mental disorders, and advances in molecular genetics have raised hopes of more rapid progress in this field of investigation.

To review epidemiological knowledge concerning genetic and environmental risk factors for a cross-section of psychiatric conditions, and evidence of interaction between the two types.

Searches of the literature in genetic and psychiatric epidemiology, including contributions to this supplement.

Overall, firm knowledge on both genetic and environmental causal factors is still fragmentary, although progress has varied among diagnostic categories. Environmental aspects have been dealt with only perfunctorily in most genetic epidemiological research.

Better definition and classification of environmental hazards, and closer inter-disciplinary cooperation, will be necessary in future. Specific gene-environment interaction effects seem likely to prove most important in neuropsychiatric syndromes, and a less specific genetic influence on susceptibility to environmental stress among the common mental disorders.

Suicide rates for England and Wales have been decreasing recently, but rates for young adult males remain high.

To review changes in suicide rates for children and adolescents in England and Wales between 1970 and 1998.

Rates for suicide, ‘accidental’ death by causes similar to suicide and ‘undetermined’ death for 10–14- and 15–19-year-olds are calculated between 1970 and 1998 using suicide data and estimated mid-year populations obtained from the Office for National Statistics.

There has been a substantial increase in suicide rate between the 1970s and the 1990s for males aged 15–19 years. This remains true even when ‘undetermined’ and ‘accidental’ death rates for causes similar to suicide are examined. The increase was associated with an increase in self-poisoning with vehicle exhaust gas in the 1980s and an increase in hanging which has continued into the 1990s. Although there was a slight decrease in the official suicide rate for females aged 15–19 years, ‘undetermined’ deaths increased. There is no indication of a major change in suicide rate in 10–14-year-olds.

The substantial increase in suicide rate in 15–19-year-old males may indicate increased psychosocial stress, particularly affecting this group.