title: The prevalence of depression among Maori patients in Auckland general practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been concern over high rates of mental illness in Maori. Previous studies in general practice have had small sample sizes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of major depression among Maori patients in Auckland general practice using the CIDI and the PHQ as measurement tools.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prevalence study is part of a larger randomised trial. The patients were recruited from 77 general practitioners from around Auckland who could provide a private room for interviewing. The patients were invited to participate in the waiting room and all consecutive patients were approached. For this study all patients received a computerised CIDI examination and one third received a PHQ assessment prior to getting the CIDI. The interviewer was blind to the questionnaire results when the patient did the CIDI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 7994 patients approached from whom there were data on 7432. The prevalence of Maori in the study was 9.7%. The overall 12-month prevalence of major depression based on the CIDI was 10.1% 95% CI (8.8 to 11.4). For Maori the prevalence was 11.5% 95% CI (8.8 to 14.2) and for non-Maori 10.1% 95% CI (8.6 to 11.3). For Maori men and Maori women the prevalence was 8.5% and 13.4% and for non-Maori men and non-Maori women it was 8.3% and 11.1%. The prevalence of depression over at least the previous two weeks on the PHQ > or = 9 for all participants was 12.9% 95% CI (11.2 to 14.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of depression among Maori is high, but not as high as earlier studies. This may be due to the bigger sample size of this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice & Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. b.arroll@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arroll
authors.forename: Felicity
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Goodyear-Smith
authors.forename: Ngaire
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kerse
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crengle
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.forename: Tana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fishman
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hatcher
authors.forename: Sanat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pradhan
authors.forename: Karishma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sidhu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000208:ethnology*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult