Depression in relation to age and gender in the general population: the Nord-Trondelag Health Study (HUNT)

Objective: Previous sample studies of depression have shown a higher preval ence of depression in women, and an inconsistent relation to age has been f ound for both genders. The aim of the present study was to investigate depr ession in relation to gender and age in the general adult population. Method: Of the total population of 92 100 individuals aged 20 89 years and living in Nord-Trondelag county of Norway, 62 344 (67.7%) filled in valid r atings of depression on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: Minimal gender difference was found in dimensional depression scor es and in prevalence rates of depression. Both these measures were found to increase continuously with age in both genders. Conclusion: Our results of this population-based study differ from most sam ple studies reported, and these discrepancies are discussed with focus on s tudy design, self-rating, and the concept of depression covered by HADS.