Care-Seeking Pattern among Persons with Depression and Anxiety: A Population-Based Study in Sweden

Prevalence, determinants and care-seeking behaviour for anxiety and depression in Nepalese population: a secondary analysis of data from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression and the care-seeking behaviour among Nepalese population.

DESIGN AND SETTINGS

Secondary analysis of the data from nationally representative Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022.

PARTICIPANTS

Analysed data of 12 355 participants (7442 females and 4913 males) aged 15-49 years.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Depression and anxiety were assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) tools, respectively.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

We performed weighted analysis to account for the complex survey design. We presented categorical variables as frequency, per cent and 95% confidence interval (CI), whereas numerical variables were presented as median, inter-quartile range (IQR) and 95% CI. We performed univariate and multivariable logistic regression to determine factors associated with anxiety and depression, and results were presented as crude OR (COR), adjusted OR (AOR) and their 95% CI.

RESULTS

The prevalence of depression and anxiety were 4.0% (95% CI 3.5 to 4.5) and 17.7% (95% CI 16.5 to 18.9), respectively. Divorced or separated participants were found to have higher odds of developing anxiety (AOR 2.40, 95% CI 1.74 to 3.31) and depression (AOR 3.16, 95% CI 1.84 to 5.42). Among ethnic groups, Janajati had lower odds of developing anxiety (AOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.92) and depression (AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.93) compared with Brahmin/Chhetri. Regarding disability, participants with some difficulty had higher odds of developing anxiety (AOR 1.81, 95% CI 1.56 to 2.10) and depression (AOR 1.94, 95% CI 1.51 to 2.49), and those with a lot of difficulty had higher odds of anxiety (AOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.96) and depression (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.90) compared with those without any disability. Among those who had symptoms of anxiety or depression, only 32.9% (95% CI 30.4 to 34.4) sought help for the conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Marital status and disability status were positively associated with anxiety and depression, whereas Janajati ethnicity had relatively lower odds of experiencing anxiety and depression. It is essential to develop interventions and policies targeting females and divorced individuals to help reduce the burden of anxiety and depression in Nepal.

The cannabinoid receptor-1 gene interacts with stressful life events to increase the risk for problematic alcohol use

Problematic alcohol use is a major contributor to the global burden of death and disabilities, and it represents a public health concern that has grown substantially following the COVID-19 pandemic. The available treatment options remain limited and to develop better pharmacotherapies for alcohol misuse we need to identify suitable biological targets. Previous research has implicated the brain’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) in psychiatric and stress-related outcomes, including substance use and habituation to repeated stress. Moreover, genetic variants in the cannabinoid-1 receptor gene (CNR1; CB1R) have been associated with personality traits, which are in turn predictors of substance use disorders. To date, however, no human genome-wide association study has provided evidence for an involvement of the ECS in substance use outcomes. One reason for this ECS-related “missing heritability” may be unexamined gene-environment interactions. To explore this possibility, we conducted cross-sectional analyses using DNA samples and stress-exposure data from a longitudinal Swedish population-based study (N = 2,915). Specifically, we genotyped rs2023239, a functional C/T single nucleotide polymorphism in CNR1, previously reported to be associated with CNR1 binding in the brain, subjective reward following alcohol intake, and alcohol cue-elicited brain activation. Our two outcomes of interest were (i) problematic alcohol use based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and (ii) personality trait scores based on the Five Factor Model. We found no baseline association between rs2023239 and problematic alcohol use or personality traits. However, there was a clear trend for interaction between rs2023239’s risk allele (C) and stressful life events (SLEs) in both childhood and adulthood, which predicted problematic alcohol use. Although not significant, there was also some indication that the risk allele interacted with child SLEs to increase scores on neuroticism. Our study supports the notion that the ECS can affect alcohol intake behaviors by interacting with life adversities and is—to the best of our knowledge—the first to focus on the interaction between CNR1 and stressors in both childhood and adulthood in humans. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Utilization of healthcare and prescription medicines after non-pharmacological interventions for depression - A 3-year register follow-up of an RCT in primary care

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A 3-year register follow-up of an RCT for depression interventions was conducted.

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Healthcare utilization and dispensed medicines were used as register outcomes.

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The interventions had no effect on consultations for mental illness during follow-up.

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Both interventions are appropriate additions to mild-moderate depression care.

Depression is a common, recurrent disorder. There is a need for readily available treatments with few negative side effects, that demands little resources and that are effective both in the short- and long term.

Our aim was to investigate the long-term effectiveness of two different interventions; physical exercise and internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (internet-CBT), compared to usual care in patients with mild to moderate depression in a Swedish primary care setting.

We performed a register-based 3-year follow-up study of participants in the randomized controlled trial REGASSA (n = 940) using healthcare utilization and dispensed medicines as outcomes.

We found no difference between the three groups regarding proportion of participants consulting healthcare due to mental illness or pain during follow-up. Regarding number of consultations, there was no difference between the groups, except for consultations related to pain. For this outcome both treatment arms had significantly fewer consultations compared to usual care, during year 2–3, the risk ratio (RR) for physical exercise and internet-CBT was 0.64 (95% CI = 0.43–0.95) and 0.61 (95% CI = 0.41–0.90), respectively.

A significantly lower proportion of patients in both treatment arms were dispensed hypnotics and sedatives year 2–3 compared to the usual care arm, RR for both physical exercise and internet-CBT was 0.72 (95% CI = 0.53–0.98). No other differences between the groups were found.

In conclusion, considering long-term effects, both physical exercise and internet-CBT, being resource-efficient treatments, could be considered as appropriate additions for patients with mild to moderate depression in primary care settings.

Trial registration: The original RCT was registered with the German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS study ID: DRKS00008745).

Poorer mental well-being and prior unmet need for mental healthcare: a longitudinal population-based study on men in Sweden

Background

Depression and anxiety disorder contribute to a significant part of the disease burden among men, yet many men refrain from seeking care or receive insufficient care when they do seek it. This is plausibly associated with poorer mental well-being, but there is a lack of population-based research. This study investigated 1) if men who had refrained from seeking mental healthcare at any time in life had poorer mental well-being than those who sought care, 2) if those who had sought care but perceived it as insufficient had poorer mental well-being than those who had perceived care as sufficient, and 3) if these differences persisted after 1 year.

Methods

This longitudinal study used questionnaire data from a population-based sample of 1240 men, aged 19–64 years, in Sweden. Having refrained from seeking mental healthcare, or perceiving the care as insufficient, at any time in life, was assessed in a questionnaire, 2008. Current mental well-being was assessed in 2008 and 2009 using mean scores on the WHO (Ten) Well-being Index. Lower scores indicate poorer mental well-being. Group differences were calculated using t-tests and multivariable linear regression analysis.

Results

Of the men who had perceived a need for mental healthcare, 37% had refrained from seeking such care. They had lower mental well-being scores in 2008, compared to those who sought care. Of those seeking care, 29% had perceived it as insufficient. They had lower mental well-being scores in 2008, compared to those who perceived the care as sufficient, but this was not statistically significant when controlling for potential confounders. There were no differences in mental well-being scores based on care-seeking or perceived care-sufficiency in 2009.

Conclusions

This population-based study indicates that men who have previously refrained from seeking mental healthcare, or perceived the care as insufficient, have poorer mental well-being. However, the lack of differences at the one-year follow-up contradicts these results. The results highlight the need for larger longitudinal studies, measuring care-seeking within a more specified time frame. This should be combined with efforts to increase men’s mental healthcare-seeking and to provide mental healthcare that is perceived as sufficient.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13690-021-00706-0.

Help-Seeking Patterns Among the General Population in Singapore: Results from the Singapore Mental Health Study 2016

This study aimed to establish lifetime mental health service utilisation among the general population of Singapore. The sociodemographic correlates of those seeking help from different service provider groups and changes in lifetime mental health service utilisation between 2010 and 2016 among those with mental disorders were also explored. A population-based cross-sectional epidemiological household survey of the Singapore resident population aged 18 years and above was conducted from 2016 to 2018, using the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) version 3.0. Data from two cross-sectional population-based studies were used for comparison of lifetime mental health service utilisation in 2010 (n = 6616) and 2016 (n = 6126). Chi square test and multiple logistic regression were used to analyse the data. A total of 6126 respondents completed the study in 2016. Overall 9.3% of the total sample, 32.0% of those with mental disorders, and 5.7% of those not meeting criteria for mental disorders, ever sought help for their mental health issues in their lifetime, from any treatment service sectors. Several sociodemographic characteristics were found to be correlated with different service provider groups. There was no change in mental health service utilisation between 2010 and 2016 for all mental disorders included in this study, with the exception of a significant increase in help sought from professionals in social services, among those with alcohol abuse. Even though the overall help-seeking rates are low, it is encouraging that those seeking help did so from mental health professionals and professionals working in the social services.

Unmet Need for Mental Healthcare in a Population Sample in Sweden: A Cross-Sectional Study of Inequalities Based on Gender, Education, and Country of Birth

This cross-sectional study investigated if gender, education, and country of birth were associated with perceived need and unmet need for mental healthcare (i.e., refraining from seeking care, or perceiving care as insufficient when seeking it). Questionnaire and register data from 2008 were collected for 3987 individuals, aged 19-64 years, in a random population-based sample from western Sweden. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were used. Men were less likely to perceive a need for care than were women, even after adjusting for mental well-being. Men were also less likely to seek care and perceiving care as sufficient. People with secondary education were less likely to seek care than those with university education. There were no statistically significant differences based on country of birth. The observed gender and education-based inequalities increases our understanding of where interventions can be implemented. These inequalities in unmet need for mental healthcare should be targeted by the healthcare system.

Patient-related factors associated with an increased risk of being a reported case of preventable harm in first-line health care: a case-control study

Background

Patient safety issues in primary health care and in emergency departments have not been as thoroughly explored as patient safety issues in the hospital setting. Knowledge is particularly sparse regarding which patients have a higher risk of harm in these settings. The objective was to evaluate which patient-related factors were associated with risk of harm in patients with reports of safety incidents.

Methods

A case–control study performed in primary health care and emergency departments in Sweden. In total, 4536 patients (cases) and 44,949 controls were included in this study. Cases included patients with reported preventable harm in primary health care and emergency departments from January 1st, 2011 until December 31st, 2016.

Results

Psychiatric disease, including all psychiatric diagnoses regardless of severity, nearly doubled the risk of being a reported case of preventable harm (odds ratio, 1.96; p < 0.001). Adjusted for income and education there was still an increased risk (odds ratio, 1.69; p < 0.001). The preventable harm in this group was to 46% diagnostic errors of somatic disease.

Conclusion

Patients with psychiatric illness are at higher risk of preventable harm in primary care and the emergency department. Therefore, this group needs extra attention to prevent harm.

Screening fathers for postpartum depression can be cost-effective: An example from Sweden

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression negatively affects the whole family and its prevalence in Sweden ranges between 6-10% for fathers and 13-16% for mothers. However, only mothers in Sweden are currently routinely screened.

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine if a postpartum depression screening for fathers in Stockholm County could be cost-effective.

METHODS

National Swedish databases were used to find registry data and a literature review was undertaken to identify the model data inputs associated with postpartum depression in Sweden. The generated evidence was used to build a Markov model in TreeAge. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to account for parameter uncertainties. Alternative scenario analyses were further undertaken to test the assumptions in the base case analysis.

RESULTS

A postpartum screening for depression in fathers is cost-effective in base case and alternative scenarios. The results indicate that the screening program is associated with lower costs and higher health effects. The results were sensitive to variables of quality adjusted life years for the depressed fathers, probabilities of remission in treatment and no treatment groups and start age and productivity losses. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis resulted in a 70% probability of the postnatal depression screening intervention being cost-effective.

LIMITATIONS

The current study only uses secondary data; therefore future research should assess the cost-effectiveness of screening fathers for depression.

CONCLUSION

The postpartum screening intervention for fathers could be cost-effective compared to no screening. Future research should replicate the potential cost-effectiveness for screening fathers for postpartum depression.

Treatment adequacy for social anxiety disorder in primary care patients

OBJECTIVES

There is a gap between clinical practice guidelines for social anxiety disorder and clinical practice that needs to be addressed to ensure the delivery of evidence-based treatments. The objectives of this study were: 1) to describe mental health service utilization in a cohort of primary care patients with social anxiety disorder; 2) to examine treatment adequacy for pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy according to indicators based on clinical practice guidelines; and 3) to explore correlates of treatment adequacy.

METHOD

The "Dialogue" project (Quebec, Canada) is a large study conducted in 67 primary care clinics. After a mental health screening in primary care (n = 14 833), participants with anxiety or depressive symptoms took part in a telephone/web structured interview on mental health symptoms and service utilization (n = 1956). This study included 289 participants meeting DSM-IV criteria for social anxiety disorder.

RESULTS

Overall, 86.2% of participants reported consulting for mental health reasons over the past 12 months. Only 23.6% of our sample reported the detection of social anxiety disorder by a healthcare professional in the past 12 months. Approximately 2 in 5 respondents with social anxiety disorder reported receiving pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy meeting our treatment adequacy indicators. Antidepressant medication was the most common treatment. Logistic regression models showed that the detection of major depression (OR = 4.651; 95% CI: 2.559-8.453) or other anxiety disorder(s) (OR = 2.957; 95% CI: 1.555-5.625) were associated with receiving any adequate treatment, but the detection of social anxiety disorder itself was not (OR = 1.420; 95% CI: 0.696-2.899).

CONCLUSION

Low rates of detection and treatment adequacy based on our indicators demonstrate that efforts must be made to ensure the quality of care for individuals with social anxiety disorder in primary care.

Socioeconomic position, symptoms of depression and subsequent mental healthcare treatment: a Danish register-based 6-month follow-up study on a population survey

OBJECTIVE

Examine whether the severity of symptoms of depression was associated with the type of mental healthcare treatment (MHCT) received, independent of socioeconomic position (SEP).

DESIGN

Register-based 6-month follow-up study on participants from the Danish General Suburban Population Study (GESUS) 2010-2013, who scored the Major Depression Inventory (MDI).

PARTICIPANTS

Nineteen thousand and eleven respondents from GESUS.

INTERVENTIONS

The MHCT of the participants was tracked in national registers 4 months prior and 6 months after their MDI scores. MHCT was graduated in levels. SEP was defined by years of formal postsecondary education and income categorised into three levels. Data were analysed using logistic and Poisson regression analyses.

OUTCOMES

MHCT included number of contacts with: general practitioner (GP), GP mental health counselling, psychologist, psychiatrist, emergency contacts, admissions to psychiatric hospitals and prescriptions of antidepressants.

RESULTS

For 547 respondents with moderate to severe symptoms of depression there was no difference across SEP in use of services, contact (y/n), frequency of contact or level of treatment, except respondents with low SEP had more frequent contact with their GP. However, of the 547 respondents , 10% had no treatment contacts at all, and 47% had no treatment beyond GP consultation. Among respondents with no/few symptoms of depression, postsecondary education ≥3 years was associated with more contact with specialised services (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.92; 95% CI 1.18 to 3.13); however, this difference did not apply for income; additionally, high SEP was associated with fewer prescriptions of antidepressants (education aOR 0.69; CI 0.50 to 0.95; income aOR 0.56, CI 0.39 to 0.80) compared with low SEP.

CONCLUSION

Participants with symptoms of depression were treated according to the severity of their symptoms, independent of SEP; however, more than half with moderate to severe symptoms received no treatment beyond GP consultation. People in low SEP and no/few symptoms of depression were more often treated with antidepressants. The study was approved by The Danish Data Protection Agency Journal number 2015-41-3984. Accessible at: https://www.datatilsynet.dk/fortegnelsen/soeg-i-fortegnelsen/.

Factors associated with health service utilisation for common mental disorders: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

There is a large treatment gap for common mental disorders (CMD), with wide variation by world region. This review identifies factors associated with formal health service utilisation for CMD in the general adult population, and compares evidence from high-income countries (HIC) with that from low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC).

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Scopus in May 2016. Eligibility criteria were: published in English, in peer-reviewed journals; using population-based samples; employing standardised CMD measures; measuring use of formal health services for mental health reasons by people with CMD; testing the association between this outcome and any other factor(s). Risk of bias was assessed using the adapted Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. We synthesised the results using "best fit framework synthesis", with reference to the Andersen socio-behavioural model.

RESULTS

Fifty two studies met inclusion criteria. 46 (88%) were from HIC. Predisposing factors: There was evidence linking increased likelihood of service use with female gender; Caucasian ethnicity; higher education levels; and being unmarried; although this was not consistent across all studies. Need factors: There was consistent evidence of an association between service utilisation and self-evaluated health status; duration of symptoms; disability; comorbidity; and panic symptoms. Associations with symptom severity were frequently but less consistently reported. Enabling factors: The evidence did not support an association with income or rural residence. Inconsistent evidence was found for associations between unemployment or having health insurance and use of services. There was a lack of research from LMIC and on contextual level factors.

CONCLUSION

In HIC, failure to seek treatment for CMD is associated with less disabling symptoms and lack of perceived need for healthcare, consistent with suggestions that "treatment gap" statistics over-estimate unmet need for care as perceived by the target population. Economic factors and urban/rural residence appear to have little effect on treatment-seeking rates. Strategies to address potential healthcare inequities for men, ethnic minorities, the young and the elderly in HIC require further evaluation. The generalisability of these findings beyond HIC is limited. Future research should examine factors associated with health service utilisation for CMD in LMIC, and the effect of health systems and neighbourhood factors.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration number: 42016046551 .

Social differences in diagnosed depression among adolescents in a Swedish population based cohort

BACKGROUND

Population based research regarding social differences in diagnosed depression in adolescence is sparse. In this study unique material containing in-and outpatient data was used to determine if low social position in childhood increases the risk of diagnosed depression in adolescence. To further examine this association, gender differences and interactions were explored.

METHODS

The study population was extracted from the Stockholm Youth Cohort (SYC), a register based cohort containing psychiatric care for all young people in Stockholm County and information about social position. For the purpose of this study, all in the SYC who turned 13 years old during 2001-2007, in total 169,262 adolescents, were followed up in 2005-2011 for diagnoses of depression until age 18. Associations were estimated with Cox regression models and presented as Hazard Ratios (HR).

RESULTS

The risk of diagnosed depression was higher for adolescents with parents with low education (HR = 1.1, CI = 1.0-1.2) and medium education (HR = 1.1, CI = 1.1-1.2) compared to high as well as for those with lower household income (for example, medium low, HR = 1.2, CI = 1.1-1.3) and for those with parents who received an unemployment benefit (HR = 1.3, CI = 1.2-1.4). No differences were found for those with the lowest household income compared to those with the highest level. Adolescents with parents born outside the Nordic countries had a lower risk of diagnosed depression (HR = 0.7, CI = 0.6-0.7). An interaction effect was found between gender and parental education.

CONCLUSIONS

Social differences were found but the magnitude was modest and gender differences small.

Depression and Its Help Seeking Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Community Survey in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses affecting around 322 million individual in the world. Although the prevalence of depression is high and its treatment is effective, little is known about its pooled prevalence and help seeking behaviors in the community settings of Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of depression and its help seeking behaviors in Ethiopia.

METHODS

A systematic literature search in the databases of Pub-Med, Cochrane, and Google Scholar was performed. The quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment tool adapted for cross-sectional studies. Heterogeneity test and evidence of publication bias were assessed. Moreover, sensitivity test was also performed. Pooled prevalence of depression and its help seeking behavior were calculated using random effects model.

RESULTS

A total 13 studies for depression, 4 studies for help seeking intention, and 5 studies for help seeking behaviour were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of depression and help seeking intention and behaviour was found to be 20.5% (95% CI; 16.5% -24.4%), 42% (95% CI; 23%-60%), and 38% (95% CI; 23%-52%), respectively. There is no significant heterogeneity for depression (I² = 0%, p =0.620), help seeking intention (I² = 0%, p =0.996), and behaviour (I² = 0%, p =0.896). There is no publication bias for depression egger's test (p =0.689).

CONCLUSION

More than one in every five individuals were experiencing depression. Less than one-third of individuals with depression seek help from modern treatment. Authors suggest community based mental health screening and treatment.

Health care seeking behavior for depression in Northeast Ethiopia: depression is not considered as illness by more than half of the participants

BACKGROUND

Depression is one of the most disabling and chronic mental illnesses. Despite its high burden, many people suffering from depression did not perceive that they had a treatable illness and consequently most of them did not seek professional help. The aim of this study was to assess the level of professional help-seeking behavior and associated factors among individuals with depression.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among residents of Dessie, Northeast Ethiopia. First, 1165 residents were screened for depression using patient health questionnaire and then 226 individuals who were screened positive for probable depression were interviewed with General Help-Seeking Questionnaire to assess the professional help-seeking behavior of participants with depression. Major associated variables were identified using logistic regression with 95% confidence interval (CI), and variables with a p value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Among the total participants with depressive symptoms, only 25.66% of them did seek professional help. Being female [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.769, 95% CI (1.280, 5.99)], current alcohol drinking [AOR = 2.74, 95% CI (1.265, 5.940)], co-morbid medical-surgical illness [AOR = 4.49, 95% CI (1.823, 11.071)], perceiving depression as illness [AOR = 2.44, 95% CI (1.264, 4.928)], having moderate depressive symptoms [AOR = 2.54, 95% CI (1.086, 5.928)] and moderately severe depressive symptoms [AOR = 7.67, 95% CI (2.699, 21.814)] were significantly associated with help seeking behavior of participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Level of professional help-seeking behavior is as low as previous studies in different countries. The severity of depressive symptoms, co-morbidity of medical-surgical illness, current drinking of alcohol, being female, and perceiving depression as illness were significantly associated with professional help-seeking behavior for depressive symptoms. Working on mental health literacy in the community is important to increase help-seeking behavior.

Severity of Depression, Anxious Distress and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in a Swedish Population-Based Cohort

Background

Depression is known to be associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This population-based cohort study aimed to determine the association between depression of varying severity and risk for CVD and to study the effect of concomitant anxious distress on this association.

Methods

We utilized data from a longitudinal cohort study of mental health, work and relations among adults (20–64 years), with a total of 10,443 individuals. Depression and anxious distress were assessed using psychiatric rating scales and defined according to DSM-5. Outcomes were register-based and self-reported cardiovascular diseases.

Findings

Overall increased odds ratios of 1.5 to 2.6 were seen for the different severity levels of depression, with the highest adjusted OR for moderate depression (OR 2.1 (95% CI 1.3, 3.5). Similar odds ratios were seen for sub-groups of CVD: ischemic/hypertensive heart disease and stroke, 2.4 (95% CI 1.4, 3.9) and OR 2.1 (95%CI 1.2, 3.8) respectively. Depression with anxious distress as a specifier of severity showed OR of 2.1 (95% CI 1.5, 2.9) for CVD.

Conclusion

This study found that severity level of depression seems to be of significance for increased risk of CVD among depressed persons, although not in a dose-response manner which might be obscured due to treatment of depression. Further, we found a higher risk of CVD among depressed individuals with symptoms of anxious distress.

Why underserved patients do not consult their general practitioner for depression: results of a qualitative and a quantitative survey at a free outpatient clinic in Paris, France

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of depression in the general population is 5 to 10% but can exceed 50% in the most socially vulnerable populations. The perceptions of this disease are widely described in the literature, but no research has been carried out in France to explain the reasons for not consulting a general practitioner during a depressive episode, particularly in people in the most precarious situations. The objective of this study was to describe the reasons for not seeking primary care during a depressive episode in a socially vulnerable population.

METHODS

An exploratory sequential design with a preliminary qualitative study using a phenomenological approach. Subsequently, themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis were used in a questionnaire administered in a cross-sectional observational study at a free outpatient clinic in Paris in 2010. Lastly, a logistic regression analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The qualitative analysis revealed four aspects that explain the non-consulting of a general practitioner during a depressive episode: the negative perception of treatment, the negative perception of the disease, the importance of the social environment, and the doctor-patient relationship. The quantitative analysis showed that close to 60% of the patients who visited the free clinic were depressed and that only half of them had talked with a care provider. The results of the statistical analysis are in line with those of the qualitative analysis, since the most common reasons for not seeing a general practitioner were the negative perception of the disease (especially among the men and foreigners) and its treatments (more often among the men and French nationals).

CONCLUSIONS

Close to 50% of the depressed individuals did not seek primary care during a depressive episode, and close to 80% of them would have liked their mental health to be discussed more often by a health professional. Better information on depression and its treatments, and more-systematic screening by primary care personnel would improve the treatment of depressed patients, especially those in the most precarious situations.

Depression and violence: a Swedish population study

BACKGROUND

Depression increases the risk of a range of adverse outcomes including suicide, premature mortality, and self-harm, but associations with violent crime remain uncertain. We aimed to determine the risks of violent crime in patients with depression and to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and violent crime in a cohort of twins.

METHODS

We conducted two studies. The first was a total population study in Sweden of patients with outpatient diagnoses of depressive disorders (n=47,158) between 2001 and 2009 and no lifetime inpatient episodes. Patients were age and sex matched to general population controls (n=898,454) and risk of violent crime was calculated. Additionally, we compared the odds of violent crime in unaffected half-siblings (n=15,534) and full siblings (n=33,516) of patients with the general population controls. In sensitivity analyses, we examined the contribution of substance abuse, sociodemographic factors, and previous criminality. In the second study, we studied a general population sample of twins (n=23,020) with continuous measures of depressive symptoms for risk of violent crime.

FINDINGS

During a mean follow-up period of 3·2 years, 641 (3·7%) of the depressed men and 152 (0·5%) of the depressed women violently offended after diagnosis. After adjustment for sociodemographic confounders, the odds ratio of violent crime was 3·0 (95% CI 2·8–3·3) compared with the general population controls. The odds of violent crime in half-siblings (adjusted odds ratio 1·2 [95% CI 1·1–1·4]) and full siblings (1·5, 95% CI 1·3–1·6) were significantly increased, showing some familial confounding of the association between depression and violence. However, the odds increase remained significant in individuals with depression after adjustment for familial confounding, and in those without substance abuse comorbidity or a previous violent conviction (all p<0·0001). In the twin study, during the mean follow-up time of 5·4 years, 88 violent crimes were recorded. Depressive symptoms were associated with increased risk of violent crime and a sensitivity analysis identified little difference in risk estimate when all crimes (violent and non-violent) was the outcome.

INTERPRETATION

Risk of violent crime was increased in individuals with depression after adjustment for familial, sociodemographic and individual factors in two longitudinal studies. Clinical guidelines should consider recommending violence risk assessment in certain subgroups with depression.

FUNDING

Wellcome Trust and the Swedish Research Council.

Social factors in childhood and risk of depressive symptoms among adolescents--a longitudinal study in Stockholm, Sweden

Background

In Sweden, self-reported depressive symptoms have increased among young people of both genders, but little is known about social differences in the risk of depressive symptoms among adolescents in welfare states, where such differences can be less pronounced. Therefore, the aim was to investigate whether multiple measures of low social status in childhood affect depressive symptoms in adolescence. A secondary aim was to explore potential gender effect modification.

Methods

Participants were recruited in 1998 for a longitudinal study named BROMS. The study population at baseline consisted of 3020 children, 11–12 years-old, from 118 schools in Stockholm County, followed up through adolescence. This study is based on 1880 adolescents answering the follow-up survey in 2004, at age 17–18 (62% of the initial cohort). Parental education, occupation, country of birth, employment status and living arrangements were reported at baseline, by parents and adolescents. Depressive symptoms were self-reported by the adolescents in 2004, using a 12-item inventory. The associations between childhood social status and depressive symptoms in adolescence are presented as Odds Ratios (OR), estimated through logistic regression. Gender interaction with social factors was estimated through Synergy Index (SI).

Results

Increased risk of depressive symptoms was found among adolescents whose parents had low education (OR 1.8, CI = 1.1-3.1), were unskilled workers (OR 2.1, CI = 1.2-3.7), intermediate non-manual workers (OR 1.8, CI = 1.0-3.0), or self-employed (OR 2.2, CI = 1.2-3.7), compared to parents with high education and high non-manual work. In addition, adolescents living exclusively with one adult had an increased risk compared to those living with two (OR 2.8, CI = 1.1-7.5), while having foreign-born parents was not associated with depressive symptoms. An interaction effect was seen between gender and social factors, with an increased risk for girls of low-educated parents (SI = 3.4, CI = 1.3-8.9) or living exclusively with one adult (SI = 4.9, CI = 1.4-6.8).

Conclusions

The low social position in childhood may increase the risk of depressive symptoms among adolescents even in countries with small social differences and a highly developed welfare system, such as Sweden. Girls with low educated parents or living exclusively with one adult may be particularly vulnerable. This knowledge is of importance when planning preventive interventions or treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12939-014-0096-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Factors influencing report of common mental health problems among psychologically distressed adults

This study investigates the sociodemographic factors associated with self-report of common mental problems by the psychologically distressed in order to gain insight into the profile of the population subgroups least likely to receive mental health support whenever needed. Data from the 2006-2008 french National Survey on Health, Health Care and Insurance, were used, measuring psychological distress based on the Mental Health Inventory MHI-5. The patterns associated with education, employment situation and living arrangement were investigated in a sample of 11,543 subjects aged 30-54 years. Men with lower educational level were found to be doubly disadvantaged, as they were more subjected to distress than those with higher educational level and at the same time less likely to report common mental problems whenever distressed. While in both genders subjects not living with a spouse and non-employed subjects were also more subjected to distress, they were more likely than the others to report common mental problems in presence of distress. The findings were discussed in terms of living conditions, stigma, mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour. Mental health promotion programmes should aim at educating the public, and particularly men and the lower educated public, on the signs of distress and their significance.

The societal cost of depression: evidence from 10,000 Swedish patients in psychiatric care

OBJECTIVE

Depression cost studies have mainly taken a primary care perspective and should be completed with cost estimates from psychiatric care. The objectives of this study were to estimate the societal per-patient cost of depression in specialized psychiatric care in Sweden, and to relate costs to disease severity, depressive episodes, hospitalization, and patient functioning.

METHODS

Retrospective resource use data in inpatient and outpatient care for 2006-2008, as well as ICD-10 diagnoses and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), were obtained from the Northern Stockholm psychiatric clinic (covering half of Stockholm's population aged 18 years and above). As a complement, data from national registers on pharmaceuticals and sick leave were used in order to estimate the societal cost of depression.

RESULTS

Based on 10,430 patients (63% women), the mean annual per-patient cost was €17,279 in 2008. The largest cost item was indirect costs due to productivity losses (88%), followed by outpatient care (6%). Patients with mild and severe depression had average costs of €14,200 and €21,500, respectively. Total costs were substantially higher during depressive episodes, among patients with co-morbid psychosis or anxiety, for hospitalized patients, and for patients with poor functioning.

LIMITATIONS

Primary care costs and costs for reduced productivity at work were not included.

CONCLUSIONS

The main cost item among depression patients in psychiatric care was indirect costs. Costs were higher than previously reported for primary care, and strongly related to hospitalization, depressive episodes, and low functioning. This suggests that effective treatment that avoids depressive episodes and hospitalization may reduce society's costs for depression.

High prevalence of diagnosis of diabetes, depression, anxiety, hypertension, asthma and COPD in the total population of Stockholm, Sweden - a challenge for public health

Background

There is limited knowledge on the prevalence of disease in total populations. Such studies have historically been difficult to conduct but the development of health data registers has facilitated large-scale studies on recorded diagnoses in entire regions. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of diagnosis of six common diseases in the Swedish capital region.

Methods

The study population included all living persons who resided in Stockholm County, Sweden, on December 31^st 2011 (N = 2 093 717). Information on all consultations between 2007 and 2011 was obtained from primary health care, specialist outpatient care and inpatient care. Prevalence was defined as the proportion of individuals with a recorded diagnosis of diabetes, depression, anxiety disorders, hypertension, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during the five year period, respectively. Analyses were done by age and gender.

Results

Hypertension had the highest five-year prevalence (12.2%), followed by depression (6.6%), diabetes mellitus (6.2%), asthma (5.9%), anxiety disorders/phobia (4.8%), and COPD (1.8%). Diabetes was more common in men (5.3% of women and 7.1% of men) while depression (8.7% in women and 4.4% in men) and anxiety (6.3% in women and 3.4% in men) were considerably more common in women. Smaller gender differences were also found for hypertension (13.0% in women and 11.4% in men), asthma (6.4% in women and 5.4% in men) and COPD (2.1% in women and 1.6% in men). Diabetes, hypertension and COPD increased markedly with age, whereas anxiety, depression and asthma were fairly constant in individuals above 18 years. During one year of observation, more than half of all patients had only been diagnosed in primary health care, with hypertension being the diagnosis with the largest proportion of patients only identified in primary health care (70.6%).

Conclusion

The prevalence of common diseases in the population can be estimated by combining data gathered during consecutive years from primary care, specialist outpatient care and inpatient care. However, accuracy of disease prevalence is highly dependent on the quality of the data. The high prevalence of the six diagnoses analysed in this study calls for preventive action to minimize suffering and costs to society.

DoloTest in General Practice Study: Sensitivity and Specificity Screening for Depression

Background. Coexistence of pain and depression has significant impact on the patient's quality of life and treatment outcome. DoloTest is a pain and HRQoL assessment tool developed to provide shared understanding between the clinician and the patient of the condition by a visual profile. Aim. To find the sensitivity and specificity of DoloTest as a screening tool for depression for patients in primary care. Methods. All patients coming to a primary care clinic were asked to fill in a DoloTest and a Major Depression Inventory. Results. 715 (68.5%) of 1044 patients entered the study. 34.4% came due to pain. 16.1% met depression criteria, and 26.8% of patients coming due to pain met criteria for depression. 65.6% of the men and 54.2% of the women meeting the criteria for depression came due to pain. Depressed patients had statistically significant higher scores on all DoloTest domains. Selecting the cutoff value for the domain "low spirits" to be "65" (0-100) for depression gave a sensitivity of 78% (70-85%) and a specificity of 95% (93-96%) for meeting depression criteria. Conclusion. DoloTest can with a high sensitivity and specificity identify persons meeting criteria for depression and is an easy-to-use screening tool to identify patients with the coexistence of pain and depression.