Abstract
SummaryBackgroundWe aimed to estimate the prevalence of current depressive disorder in 27 European countries, and to explore differences in prevalence between European countries and by gender.MethodsIn this population-based study, we analysed data from respondents living in 27 European countries who were included in the second wave of the European Health Interview Survey, collected between 2013 and 2015. We assessed the prevalence of current depressive disorder using the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), with depressive disorder defined as a PHQ-8 score of 10 or higher. Prevalence estimates and 95% CIs were calculated for all 27 countries overall and for each country individually. We assessed variation in prevalence (country vs the rest of Europe) using crude and adjusted prevalence ratios obtained from negative binomial regression models. We did all analyses for the total sample and stratified by gender.FindingsOur analysis sample comprised 258 888 individuals, of whom 117 310 (weighted proportion 47·8%) were men and 141 578 (52·2%) were women. The overall prevalence of current depressive disorder was 6·38% (95% CI 6·24–6·52) with important variation across countries, ranging from 2·58% (2·14–3·02) in the Czech Republic to 10·33% (9·33–11·32) in Iceland. Prevalence was higher in women (7·74% [7·53–7·95]) than in men (4·89% [4·71–5·08]), with clear gender differences for all countries except Finland and Croatia. Compared with the other European countries in our sample, those with the highest adjusted prevalence ratios were Germany (1·80 [1·71–1·89]) and Luxembourg (1·50 [1·35–1·66]), and those with the lowest adjusted prevalence ratios were Slovakia (0·28 [0·24–0·33]) and the Czech Republic (0·32 [0·27–0·38]).InterpretationDepressive disorders, although common across Europe, vary substantially in prevalence between countries. These results could be a baseline for monitoring the prevalence of current depressive disorder both at a country level in Europe and for planning health-care resources and services.FundingUK Medical Research Council and CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP).
Highlights
The overall prevalence of current depressive disorder was 6·38% with important variation across countries, ranging from 2·58% (2·14–3·02) in the Czech Republic to 10·33% (9·33–11·32) in Iceland
Interpretation Depressive disorders, common across Europe, vary substantially in prevalence between countries. These results could be a baseline for monitoring the prevalence of current depressive disorder both at a country level in Europe and for planning health-care resources and services
Using data for 27 European countries collected between 2013 and 2015 as part of the second wave of the European Health Interview Survey, we found that the overall prevalence of current depressive disorder is high (6·38%), with important variation across European countries
Summary
Depressive disorders are a major cause of disability, increasing the risk of premature mortality, decreasing quality of life, and creating a substantial burden on health systems.[1,2,3] Different estimates show that these disorders could affect more than 300 million people worldwide.[4,5,6,7] these estimates have high temporal and geographical variation, making a periodical assessment for each country or region necessary.Multiple studies have been done in Europe with a focus on the assessment of the prevalence of depression.[5,8,9] These studies suggested that the prevalence of depression across Europe is between 5% and 10%, with potentially large differences between countries (eg, 10% in the UK and 7% in Germany).[5,9] differences in prevalence over time within the same countries might exist.[5,10] Despite the use of large and, in some cases, representative samples in these studies, their results are difficult to compare due to differences in the variables collected and the assessed populations. Some studies have assessed multiple European countries, most of them do not cover the whole of Europe.[5,9,10] the use of diagn ostic codes in some estimations could not pick up the full extent of the prevalence of depression, missing some cases, such as those with little access to health care.[4,5,9] An updated assessment of the prevalence of depressive disorders, including a basic set of relevant covariates, covering most European countries, and using a valid, reliable, and well established instrument for the assessment of depression, is essential for monitoring and planning health resources and services, both at a European-wide and a country-specific level.[11]
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