Area and individual circumstances and mood disorder prevalence.
BACKGROUND
Associations have been demonstrated between contextual (area level) factors and a range of physical health outcomes, but their relationship with mental health outcomes is less well understood.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relative strength of association between individual and area-level demographic and socio-economic factors and mood disorder prevalence in the UK.


METHODS
Cross-sectional data from 19 687 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition in Norfolk.


RESULTS
Area deprivation was associated with current (12-month) mood disorders after adjusting for individual-level socio-economic status (OR for top v. bottom quartile of deprivation scores 1.29, 95% CI 1.1-1.5, P<0.001). However, this association was small relative to those observed for individual marital and employment status. Significant residual area-level variation in current mood disorders (representing 3.6% of total variation, P=0.04) was largely accounted for by individual-level factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The magnitude of the association between socio-economic status and mood disorders is greater at the individual level than at the area level.
Wainwright
Nicholas W J
NW
Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Strangeways Research Laboratory, Worts Causeway, Cambridge CB1 8RN, UK. nick.wainwright@srl.cam.ac.uk
Surtees
Paul G
PG
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D006113:United Kingdom