title: The Danish Depression Database.
abstract: The purpose of the Danish Depression Database (DDD) is to monitor and facilitate the improvement of the quality of the treatment of depression in Denmark. Furthermore, the DDD has been designed to facilitate research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inpatients as well as outpatients with depression, aged above 18 years, and treated in the public psychiatric hospital system were enrolled.
  
  
  METHODS
  Variables include whether the patient has been thoroughly somatically examined and has been interviewed about the psychopathology by a specialist in psychiatry. The Hamilton score as well as an evaluation of the risk of suicide are measured before and after treatment. Whether psychiatric aftercare has been scheduled for inpatients and the rate of rehospitalization are also registered.
  The database was launched in 2011. Every year since then ~5,500 inpatients and 7,500 outpatients have been registered annually in the database. A total of 24,083 inpatients and 29,918 outpatients have been registered. The DDD produces an annual report published on the Internet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DDD can become an important tool for quality improvement and research, when the reporting is more complete.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Glostrup.
authors.forename: Poul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Videbech
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Centre Amager, Copenhagen S, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deleuran
keywords: national database; quality assurance; somatic diseases; suicide