Background
Gender differences in the prevalence of major depression
are found in many studies in the western world with a much
higher prevalence for women compared to men. A Danish
survey from 2004 found no significant difference for major
depression in the Danish population. The nature of this
difference is unclear. It further needs to be elucidated, if this
is an artefact, a question of measurement or a real difference.
Methods
We use a population-based survey, representative for the
Danish population (at age 40 and 50) from the year 2000,
which is linked to the nation-wide ‘Danish Psychiatric Central
Research Register’ and the ‘Register of Medicinal Product
Statistics’. We get information on self-rated major depression
(Major Depression Inventory), in- and out-patient contact
with diagnosis depression (ICD-10) and anti-depressive
medication for the whole sample (N=7138). We calculate
estimates for point-prevalence and period-prevalence for both
men and women with descriptive statistical methods.
Results (preliminary)
The point-prevalence of major depression, measured by ‘Major
Depression Inventory’ is 2.8% for men and women. We find a
period-prevalence (1998–2002) for in- and out-patient contact
with diagnosis ‘Major depression’ of 0.3% (CI: 0.2–0.5)
for men and 0.8% (CI: 0.5–10.9) for women. For prescribed
anti-depressive drugs, we find a period-prevalence of 7.7%
(CI: 6.8–8.7) for men and 12.2% (CI: 11.3–13.4).
Conclusions (preliminary)
Point prevalence of major depression in a Danish population
sample confirms previous Danish results about similar occurrence
in men and women of major depression. In contrast,
register-based results for in- and out-patient contacts and
prescribed antidepressive drugs, as indicators for depression
treatment, show a much higher prevalence in women
compared to men.