Lifetime prevalence of brief recurrent depression (results from a community survey)

This study was carried out to evaluate the lifetime prevalence of brief recurrent depression (BRD) in a general population sample and related risk factors. Subjects (n = 493, 51.9% females, 48.1% males) randomly selected from electoral registers of an urban and a rural area in Sardinia were interviewed with the Italian version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Simplified, slightly modified for the purposes of the study. We found that BRD was not uncommon in the general population; the lifetime prevalence was 6.9%, without any statistical difference according to age and sex. A significantly higher risk was detected in separated/widowed/divorced people. Comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders was particularly frequent, in particular major depression. BRD was associated with a significant major risk for suicide attempts and alcohol dependence. These results (the frequency of BRD in the general population and its correlation with suicide risk and alcohol consumption) justify further epidemiological and clinical studies in order to develop specific treatment and prevention strategies.