| Summary: | This study aimed to examine trends in depressive disorders incidence and associations with age, period, and birth cohort across China, Japan, and South Korea between 1990 and 2019. Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Age-period-cohort (APC) model was used to evaluate effects of age, period, and cohort on the depressive disorders incidence. From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized incidence of depressive disorders increased by 6.4% in Japan and 9.1% in South Korea, while it decreased by 12.8% in China. The annual percentage change of incidence in China, Japan, and South Korea was -0.74%, 0.44%, and 0.58%, respectively. The local drifts were below 0 in those aged 5–49 years and above 0 in those aged 55–84 years in China, while they were no less than 0 in all age groups in Japan and South Korea. The longitudinal age curves of depressive disorders showed an N-shaped pattern across all three countries. Both period and cohort effects showed an overall increase in South Korea. In conclusion, older adults are at a higher risk of depressive disorders, and their incidence has increased over the last three decades across all the three East Asian countries. Immediate measures, including popularizing knowledge about depressive disorders, improving access to mental health services, and increasing investment in basic and applied research on depressive disorders, should be taken to prevent depressive disorders in older adults and to provide support for those with depressive disorders.
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