Lifetime and twelve-month prevalence rates of major depressive episodes and dysthymia among Chinese Americans in Los Angeles.
OBJECTIVE
The authors' goal was to estimate the lifetime and 12-month rates of major depressive episodes and dysthymia for Chinese Americans who reside in Los Angeles. This effort, the Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study, is the first large-scale community psychiatric epidemiological study on an Asian American ethnic group that used DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive episodes and dysthymia.


METHODS
A multi-stage sampling design was used to select respondents for participation in the survey. The sample included 1,747 adults, 18-65 years of age, who resided in Los Angeles County and who spoke English, Mandarin, or Cantonese.


RESULTS
Approximately 6.9% of the respondents had experienced an episode of major depression and 5.2% had had dysthymia in their lifetime. The 12-month rates of depressive episode and dysthymia were 3.4% and 0.9%, respectively. The most consistent correlate of lifetime and 12-month depressive episode and dysthymia was social stress, measured by past traumatic events and recent negative life events.


CONCLUSIONS
The Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study provides a rare opportunity to investigate the heterogeneity within a single Asian American ethnic group, Chinese Americans, and to identify the subgroups among Chinese Americans who may be most at risk for mental health problems.
Takeuchi
D T
DT
Neuropsychiatric Institute and the Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. dtakeuch@ucla.edu
Chung
R C
RC
Lin
K M
KM
Shen
H
H
Kurasaki
K
K
Chun
C A
CA
Sue
S
S
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors