The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety was designed to investigate the course of depression and anxiety disorders, in particular the psychological, social, biological and genetic factors that influence the development and the long-term prognosis of anxiety and depression.

Depression and anxiety disorders are common at all ages. Approximately one out of three people in the Netherlands will be faced with them at some time during their lives. It is still not clear why some people recover quickly and why others suffer for long periods of time. The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) was therefore designed to investigate the course of depression and anxiety disorders over a period of several years.

NESDA logo

The main aim of NESDA is to determine the (psychological, social, biological and genetic) factors that influence the development and the long-term prognosis of anxiety and depression. In 2004, 2981 participants were recruited with and without symptoms from primary care practices and specialised mental health institutions in the regions of Amsterdam and Leiden, and in the provinces of Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland. In January 2019, the 7th measurement took place, 13 years after the first people were included. Current NESDA cohort consists of 3348 subjects.

You can find more information on the NESDA cohort study website.

Meta-data of this cohort can be found on the website of GECCO.

APH contact person: Brenda Penninx
Contact: nesda@amsterdamumc.nl