The Epidemiology of Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

LTHOUGH COMMUNITY SURveys of mental disorders have been conducted in the United States since the end of World War II, 1-3 it was not until the early 1980s that fully structured lay interviews were developed to diagnose specific mental disorders. The first such instrument was the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), 4 which was developed for use in the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study 5 to estimate the general population prevalence of mental disorders by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III) criteria. 6 Major depressive disorder (MDD) prevalence estimates in the ECA sites were 3.0% to 5.9% for lifetime and 1.7% to 3.4% for 12-month. 7 The first nationally representative survey using a method similar to the ECA, the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), 8 was conducted a decade later in 1990-1992. The NCS diagnostic instrument was a modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) 9 to assess mental disorders by Author Affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

The effect of vortioxetine on overall patient functioning in patients with major depressive disorder

“…The effectiveness of MDD treatment in relation to functional outcomes is potentially confounded by the bidirectional relationship of depressive symptoms and functional impairment, as well as by premorbid functioning, which may not be accounted for when assessing the reduction in functional impairment (McKnight & Kashdan, 2009). The National Comorbidity Survey Replication found that 96.9% of patients with MDD for at least 12 months also suffered from functional impairment (in at least one area) associated with their depression, with 19.1% of patients reporting their impairment as “very severe” (Kessler et al., 2003). These respondents also reported being unable to work or fulfill daily activities for an average of 35.2 days in the past year of their MDD (Kessler et al., 2003).…”

“…The National Comorbidity Survey Replication found that 96.9% of patients with MDD for at least 12 months also suffered from functional impairment (in at least one area) associated with their depression, with 19.1% of patients reporting their impairment as “very severe” (Kessler et al., 2003). These respondents also reported being unable to work or fulfill daily activities for an average of 35.2 days in the past year of their MDD (Kessler et al., 2003). Understanding the relationship between MDD and functionality is important, especially considering the cost of lost work productivity due to absenteeism and presenteeism.…”

“…Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) experience functional impairment that can negatively affect many aspects of daily life, including school, work, interpersonal relationships, and overall social functioning (Greer, Kurian, & Trivedi, 2010; Kessler et al., 2003; Moussavi et al., 2007). MDD is associated with significant disability and economic burden, which can be attributed in part to functional impairment.…”

Cardiac Vagal Control and Depressive Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Sleep Quality

“…With a lifetime prevalence of around 16.2% (Kessler et al, 2003) and recurrence rates between 35% in the general population and 85% in specialized mental health facilities (Hardeveld, Spijker, De Graaf, Nolen, & Beekman, 2010), affective disorders (mainly major depression) belong to the second most frequent group of disorders (Wittchen & Jacobi, 2005). Therefore, early intervention in individuals with mild depressive symptoms—and prevention of major depressive disorder before it emerges—is of crucial importance for public health.…”

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for patients with chronic, treatment-resistant depression: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial

“…Despite evidence‐based treatments, about 20% of all depressed patients develop a chronic course (Kessler et al., 2003), typically defined as a period of 2 years or longer of depressive symptoms (DSM‐IV‐TR, 2000). Chronic depression not only affects the personal life of a patient, but is also associated with high costs for society in terms of health care costs and workplace losses (Pincus, 2001).…”