title: Change in depressive symptoms and mental health-related quality of life in northeast Germany between 1997-2001 and 2008-2012.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about changes in depression and quality of life in East Germany. We examined changes in the prevalence of lifetime and current depressive symptoms and mental health-related quality of life among adults in northeast Germany between 1997-2001 and 2008-2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based data were drawn from two repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted 11 years apart within the Study of Health of Pomerania project (Ns of 4,228 and 4,251). Assessments included screening items for lifetime depressive symptoms from the Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI), the Depression and Exhaustion Scale (DEEX), and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lifetime depressive symptoms rose from 13.2 to 27.8%. The increase was stronger in men than in women and in individuals aged 35-64 years. No substantial changes occurred in the overall prevalence of current depressive symptoms (DEEX) and mental health-related quality of life (SF-12). A small decrease in current depressive symptoms was observed in middle-aged men and older women and small improvements in mental health-related quality of life in young adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher reporting of lifetime depressive symptoms might reflect methodological influences as well as lower stigmatization and higher awareness, while the current burden seems similar.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Medicine, Study of Health in Pomerania/Clinical-Epidemiological Research, Walther-Rathenau-Straße 48, 17487, Greifswald, Germany, sebastian.baumeister@uni-greifswald.de.
authors.forename: Sebastian E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Baumeister
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schomerus
authors.forename: Carsten-Oliver
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Möckel
authors.forename: Neeltje
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Völzke
authors.forename: Hans J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Grabe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000266:history* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult