Abstract
Depression in young adults is common, but data from Switzerland are scarce. Our study gives a point prevalence estimate of depression in young Swiss men, and describes the association between depression and education, material and social resources, and job/school satisfaction. We used data from the cross-sectional Swiss Federal Surveys of Adolescents (ch-x) from 2010 to 2011 comprising 9,066 males aged between 18 and 25 years. Depression was assessed by means of self-reports using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Persons were categorised into three groups: depression, subthreshold depression, and no depression. We assessed the relationship between depression and education, material and social resources, and satisfaction with job/school. Differences according to depression status were tested with chi-square tests for categorical variables and one-way analyses of variance for continuous variables. Point prevalence of depression (3.60%) and subthreshold depression (3.62%) was high. Poor mental health was associated with lower education in young adults (p <0.001), and with their parents' education (p = 0.024). Social resources in persons with depression and subthreshold depression were substantially reduced (i.e., social support and satisfaction with social relations; both p <0.001). Young men with depression and subthreshold depression also reported a current lack of satisfaction with job/school (p <0.001). Prevalence of (subthreshold) depression is high in young Swiss men. Depression at this age might result in a bad long-term prognosis owing to its association with low satisfaction with job/school and low self-efficacy. Interventions should especially consider the lower social resources of young men with depression.
Highlights
Depression in adults is highly prevalent, and is one of the leading causes of disease burden and decreased work productivity worldwide [1, 2]; the numbers hold true in Switzerland
We explored the association of depression with education, material and social resources, and with problems experienced in daily life
In the total sample (n = 9,066), the point prevalence of depression was 3.60%; 3.62% suffered from subthreshold depression
Summary
Depression in adults is highly prevalent, and is one of the leading causes of disease burden and decreased work productivity worldwide [1, 2]; the numbers hold true in Switzerland. An increasingly applied instrument to assess depression in the general population is the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) Information from this inventory allows us to categorise persons into depressed versus non-depressed individuals by use of an algorithm of the combination of depressive symptoms [11]. Such a classification is not a clinical diagnosis – which should only be made with a clinical interview (e.g., Structured Clinical Interview [SCID]) – the interrater reliability between self-reported depression inventories and a diagnosis by mental health professionals
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
