Utility of the concept of minor depressive disorder: evidence from a large rural community sample in a developing country setting.
BACKGROUND
Evidence on the utility of the minor depressive disorder diagnostic construct in rural communities and developing countries is scarce.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the utility and validity of definitive minor depressive disorder in Ethiopia by determining its impact and sociodemographic correlates.


METHODS
Assessment of 68,378 adults, aged 15-49 years, living in a largely rural district in Ethiopia using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.


RESULTS
The lifetime prevalence of minor depressive disorder was 2.2% (95% CI=2.1%, 2.3%). Age, marital status, education and unemployment independently predicted minor depressive disorder. Over 80% of cases used health services, 55.1% experienced persistent thoughts of death and 14.6% attempted suicide.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings are based on lifetime estimates.


CONCLUSIONS
Minor depressive disorder is an important public health problem in rural Ethiopia, as shown by the associated high health service use and risk behaviour. Sociodemographic correlates suggest aetiological continuity with major depression. Thus our findings extend the clinical and public health utility of this diagnostic construct to rural community and developing country settings.
Fekadu
Abebaw
A
King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. Abe.Wassie@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Alem
Atalay
A
Medhin
Girmay
G
Shibre
Teshome
T
Cleare
Anthony
A
Prince
Martin
M
Kebede
Derege
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003710:Demography; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003906:Developing Countries; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D018450:Disease Progression; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*