Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Epidemiology of depression

  • Section III Current Issues In Depression
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Review of the published literature produces 1-year prevalence rates for major depressive disorder DSM-III between 2.6 and 6.2%, for dysthymia between 2.3 and 3.7%, bipolar disorder 1.0–1.7%. Data from the prospective Zurich Study with four interviews over 10 years give relatively high 10-year prevalence rates for subjects from age 20 to 30 (14.4% major depression, 10.5% recurrent brief depression, 0.9% dysthymia, 3.3% bipolar disorder, 1.3% hypomania). On average, 49% of all these cases received treatment for affective disorder, resulting in a weighted treatment prevalence rate of the population of 11.6% (18% for females and 5% for males). It has to be assumed that lifetime prevalence rates based on recall may greatly underestimate true morbidity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Angst J (1988) Recurrent brief depression. A new concept of mild depression. In: Abstracts of the VIth CINP Congress, Munich 1988. Psychopharmacology [suppl] 96:62

    Google Scholar 

  • Angst J (1990) How recurrent and predictable is depressive illness. In: Montgomery SA, Rouillon F (eds) Progress in psychiatry (The long term treatment of depression, vol 3). Wiley, Sussex, England

    Google Scholar 

  • Angst J, Wicki W (1991) Is dysthymia a separate form of depression? Results of the Zurich cohort study. Paper presented at Meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Birmingham 1990 Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 240:349–354

    Google Scholar 

  • Angst J, Dobler-Mikola A, Binder J (1984) The Zurich Study — A prospective epidemiological study of depressive, neurotic and psychosomatic syndromes. I. Problem, methodology. Eur Arch Psychiatry Neurol Sci 234:13–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Angst J, Vollrath M, Koch R (1988) New aspects on epidemiology of depression. In: Angst J, Woggon B (eds) Lofepramine in the treatment of depressive disorders. Review of the past 10 years and future prospects. International Symposium organized by the Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich, in Lugano 1987. Vieweg, Braunschweig, pp 1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Angst J, Merikangas K, Scheidegger P (1989) Recurrent Brief Depression. A new subtype of affective disorder. British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP)/Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP) Joint Annual Meeting, Cambridge, England, 1989. Abstracts No 33, p 9

  • Angst J, Merikangas K, Scheidegger P, Wicki W (1990) Recurrent brief depression: a new subtype of affective disorder. J Affect Dis 19:87–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Bland RC, Newman SC, Orn H (1988) Lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Edmonton. Acta Psychiatr Scand 338:24–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Buzzard EF, Miller HE, Riddoch G, Yellowlees H, Reynell WR, Boyle H, Hobhouse N, Strauss EB (1930) Discussion on the diagnosis and treatment of the milder forms of the manicdepressive psychosis. Proc R Soc Med 23:881–895

    Google Scholar 

  • Canino GJ, Bird HR, Shrout PE, Rubio-Stiped M, Bravo M, Marinez R, Sesman M, Guevara LM (1987) The prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders in Puerto Rico. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44:727–735

    Google Scholar 

  • Eaton WW, Holzer DE, von Korff M, Anthony JC, Helzer JE, George L, Burnam A, Boyd JH, Kessler LG, Locke BZ (1984) The design of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Surveys. The control and measurement of error. Arch Gen Psychiatry 41:942–948

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliot D, Huizinger D, Morse BJ (1985) The dynamics of deviant behaviour. A national survey: progress report. Behavioural Research Institute, Boulder, CO

    Google Scholar 

  • Faravelli C, Incerpi G (1985) Epidemiology of affective disorders in Florence. Preliminary results. Acta Psychiatr Scand 72:331–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Fine S, Moretti M, Halley G, Marriage K (1985) Affective disorders in children and adolescents: the dysthymic disorder dilemma. Can J Psychiatry 30:173–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Frances A, Voss CB (1987) Dysthymic disorder complicated by bouts of major depression. Hosp Community Psychiatry 38:461–463

    Google Scholar 

  • Gregory MS (1915) Transient attacks of manic-depressive insanity. Med Record (New York) 88:1040–1044

    Google Scholar 

  • Jablensky A (1987) Prediction of the course and outcome of depression. Psychol Med 17:1–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Kashani J, Carlson GA, Beck NC, Hoeper EW, Corcoran CM, McAllister JA, Fallahi C, Rosenberg TK, Reid JC (1987) Depression, depressive symptoms, and depressed mood among a community sample of adolescents. Am J Psychiatry 144:931–934

    Google Scholar 

  • Keller MB, Shapiro RW (1982) “Double depression”: superimposition of acute depressive episodes on chronic depressive disorders. Am J Psychiatry 239:438–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Kivelä SL, Pahkala K, Laippala P (1988) Prevalence of depression in an elderly population in Finland. Acta Psychiatr Scand 78:401–413

    Google Scholar 

  • Kocsis JH, Frances AJ (1987) A critical discussion of DSM-III. Psychiatry 144:1534–1542

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy JM (1980) Continuities in community-based psychiatric epidemiology. Arch Gen Psychiatry 37:1215–1223

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver JM, Simmons ME (1985) Affective disorders and depression as measured by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule and the Beck Depression Inventory in an unselected adult population. J Clin Psychol 41:486–576

    Google Scholar 

  • Paskind HA (1929) Brief attacks of manic-depressive depressions. Arch Neurol (Chicago) 22:123–134

    Google Scholar 

  • Read CF (1929) Discussion. Arch Neurol (Chicago) 22:133

    Google Scholar 

  • Regier DA, Myers JK, Kramer M, Robins LN, Blazer D, Hough RL, Eaton WW, Locke BZ (1984) The NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. Historical context, major objectives, and study population characteristics. Arch Gen Psychiatry 41:934–941

    Google Scholar 

  • Robins LN, Helzer JE, Croughan J, Ratcliff KS (1981) National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Its history, characteristics, and validity. Arch Gen Psychiatry 38:381–389

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer RL, Endicott J, Robins E (1978) Research diagnostic criteria. Rationale and reliability. Arch Gen Psychiatry 35:773–782

    Google Scholar 

  • Strohmeyer W (1914) Manisch-depressives Irresein. Bergmann, Wiesbaden

    Google Scholar 

  • Weissman MM, Myers JK (1978) Rates and risks of depressive symptoms in a United States urban community. Acta Psychiatr Scand 57:219–231

    Google Scholar 

  • Weissman MM, Leaf PJ, Bruce ML, Florio L (1988) The epidemiology of dysthymia in five communites: rates, risks, comorbidity-treatment. Am J Psychiatry 145:815–819

    Google Scholar 

  • Wittchen HU, Zerssen D von (1987) Verläufe behandelter und unbehandelter Depressionen und Angststörungen. Eine klinisch-psychiatrische und epidemiologische Verlaufsuntersuchung. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Department, Psychiatric University Hospital, P.O. Box 68, CH-8029, Zurich, Switzerland

    J. Angst

Authors
  1. J. Angst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Project supported by grant 3.873.0.88 from the Swiss National Science Foundation

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Angst, J. Epidemiology of depression. Psychopharmacology 106 (Suppl 1), S71–S74 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246240

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02246240

Key words

Search

Navigation