Recent trends in the incidence of recorded depression in primary care.
BACKGROUND
There is a paucity of data describing how general practitioners (GPs) label or record depression.


OBJECTIVE
To determine incidence and sociodemographic variation in GP-recorded depression diagnoses and depressive symptoms.


METHODS
Annual incidence rates calculated using data from 298 UK general practices between 1996 and 2006, adjusted for year of diagnosis, gender, age and deprivation.


RESULTS
Incidence of diagnosed depression fell from 22.5 to 14.0 per 1000 person-years at risk (PYAR) from 1996 to 2006. The incidence of depressive symptoms rose threefold from 5.1 to 15.5 per 1000 PYAR. Combined incidence of diagnoses and symptoms remained stable. Diagnosed depression and symptoms were more common in women and in more deprived areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression recorded by general practitioners has lower incidence rates than depression recorded in epidemiological studies, although there are similar associations with gender and deprivation. General practitioners increasingly use symptoms rather than diagnostic labels to categorize people's illnesses. Studies using standardised diagnostic instruments may not be easily comparable with clinical practice.
Rait
Greta
G
MRC General Practice Research Framework, Stephenson House, 158-160 North Gower Street, London NW1 2ND, UK. g.rait@pcps.ucl.ac.uk
Walters
Kate
K
Griffin
Mark
M
Buszewicz
Marta
M
Petersen
Irene
I
Nazareth
Irwin
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult