DEPRESSION IN FINLAND - A COMPUTER-ASSISTED TELEPHONE INTERVIEW STUDY

We examined the prevalence of depressive disorders and associated fact ors in the general population in Finland using the Computer-Assisted T elephone Interview (CATI) method. A total of 2293 (71%) of 3250 indivi duals randomly drawn from the population registry and representing the adult population of Finland in the age group 25-79 years were intervi ewed by telephone in autumn 1994. The interview included a short form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International D iagnostic Interview (UM-CIDI) generating probability diagnoses of DSM- III-R major depressive episode and dysthymia. The age-adjusted 6-month prevalence was 4.1% for major depressive episode and 1.7% for current dysthymia; depressive mood during the preceding month was reported in 17% of cases. Major depressive episodes and depressive mood were sign ificantly more prevalent among females than males. In the logistic reg ression analyses, factors associated with the depressive disorders wer e found to vary somewhat depending on sex and type of disorder. Only a bout 50% of those with major depressive episode or dysthymia reported a self-perceived need for mental health services.