Investigators: Dr Caroline Jackson (CI), Prof Gita Mishra, Prof Cathie Sudlow. There are important gaps in our understanding of how depression and socioeconomic status (SES) affect stroke risk. Preliminary studies suggest that age and gender differences may exist, but the evidence is limited. It is also unclear whether depression is simply a risk marker for disease, rather than an independent risk factor for stroke. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which SES and depression might influence stroke risk remains unclear and under-investigated. This project aims to determine the association between depression, SES and stroke, investigate whether the effect of depression and SES differs by age and gender, and the extent to which conventional stroke risk factors mediate associations with stroke.