Unexpected high prevalence of 1-month depression in a small Brazilian community: the Bambuí Study

• Published in: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica 2001-10, Vol.104 (4), p.257-263
• Main Authors: VORCARO, C. M. R, LIMA-COSTA, M. F. F, BARRETO, S. M, UCHOA, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil - epidemiology; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Developing Countries; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Tropical medicine; Urban Population - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 0001-690X; 1600-0447
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0447.2001.00440.x

To determine the prevalence of depression in a community with 15 000 inhabitants in Brazil (Bambuí). The Composite International Diagnostic Interview was applied in a random sample of 1041 residents aged 18+ years. The ICD-10 1-month, 1-year and lifetime prevalences of depression were 8.2% (95% CI:6.5-9.8), 10.0% (95% CI:8.2-11.8) and 15.6% (95% CI:13.4-17.8), respectively. Kappa coefficients comparing ICD-10 and DSM-III-R diagnoses were high (0.73-0.79). Female sex (OR=2.4; 95% CI:1.3-4.2), age 45-59 years (OR=3.5; 95% CI:1.7-7.2) and > or =60 years (OR=4.0; 95% CI:1.9-8.5) and being out of work (OR=2.1; 95% CI:1.2-3.6) were independently and positively associated with 1-month depression. The 1-month prevalence of depression was higher than that observed in similar studies in developed and developing countries. Depression may be a major unidentified disease of people living in small communities of Brazil and other developing countries, especially among older women.