Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2010 Jan;120(1-3):76-85.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2009.04.016.

Epidemiology of major depressive episode in a southern European country: results from the ESEMeD-Spain project

Andrea Gabilondo  1 , Sonia Rojas-Farreras, Gemma Vilagut, Josep M Haro, Ana Fernández, Alejandra Pinto-Meza, Jordi Alonso
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Epidemiology of major depressive episode in a southern European country: results from the ESEMeD-Spain project

Andrea Gabilondo et al. J Affect Disord. 2010 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Information of the epidemiology of Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in Spain, one of the biggest southern European countries, is scarce and heterogeneous. The objective of this study was to assess the epidemiology of the disorder in the Spanish sample of the ESEMeD project.

Methods: The ESEMED-Spain project is a cross-sectional, general population, household survey conducted with a representative sample of Spanish non-institutionalized adult population. The survey instrument was the CIDI 3.0, a structured diagnostic interview to assess disorders and treatment.

Results: Lifetime prevalence was 10.6% while 12-month prevalence was 4.0%. A monotonic increase in lifetime overall prevalence was found from the youngest to the 50-64 cohort, declining then in the oldest group. Median age of onset was 30.0. Being a woman (OR=2.7), previously married (OR=1.8), unemployed or disabled to work (OR=2.9) was associated to higher risk of 12-month-MDE. The highest comorbid associations were with dysthymia (OR=73.1) and panic disorder (OR=41.8).

Limitations: 1. Psychiatric diagnoses were made by trained lay interviewers and this could have an imperfect sensitivity/specificity; 2. Individuals with mental illness could have more frequently rejected to participate in the survey; 3. Age-related recall bias could have affected the accuracy of age of onset estimates.

Conclusions: The study shows that prevalence MDE in Spain is lower than in other Western countries. Important findings are the early age of onset, the high proportion of chronicity, and the high female/male ratio. Taken together, results offer a complex picture of the epidemiology of MDE in Spain, when compared to other countries in Europe. The role of cultural factors is discussed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Cumulative Lifetime prevalence of MDE, by birth cohort. The ESEMeD-Spain project.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Degree of severity of 12-month MDE, by gender. The ESEMeD-Spain project.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Alonso J, Bruffaerts R, Gabilondo A, Haro JM, Kovess V, Vilagut G, ESEMED/MHEDEA Investigators . European Commission Task Force on Major and Chronic Diseases of DG SANCO’s Health Information Strand Major and Chronic Diseases Report 2007. Luxembourg: European Commission; 2008. Depression; pp. 101–116.
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th edn. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1994.
    1. Andrade L, Caraveo-Anduaga JJ, Berglund P, Bijl RV, Dragomericka E, Kohn R, Keller M, Kessler RC, Kawakami N, Kiliç C, Offord D, Ustun TB, Wittchen HU. The epidemiology of major depressive episodes: results from the International Consortium of Psychiatric Epidemiology (ICPE) surveys. Int. J. Methods Psychiatr. Res. 2003;12:3–21. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Annandale E, Hunt K. Gender inequalities in health: Research at the crossroads. In: Annandale E, Hunt K, editors. Gender inequalities in health. Buckingham: Oxford University Press; 2000. pp. 1–35.
    1. Artazcoz L, Artieda L, Borrell C, Cortès I, Benach J, García V. Combining job and family demands and being healthy: what are the differences between men and women? Eur J Public Health. 2004a Mar;14(1):43–48. - PubMed

Publication types