Juha Hämäläinen

The 12‐month prevalence and risk factors for major depressive episode in Finland: representative sample of 5993 adults

Objective: This study reports the 12‐month prevalence of major depressive episode and its risk factors in a representative nationwide sample.

Childhood adversities as risk factors for adult mental disorders : Results from the health 2000 study

BackgroundThe sex-specific role of stressful or traumatic childhood experiences and adverse circumstances in developing adulthood mental disorders is complex and still in need of comprehensive research.MethodsWithin the Health 2000 project in Finland, a representative sample of 4,076 subjects aged 30–64 years were investigated to examine associations between a set of retrospectively self-reported adverse environmental factors during childhood (0–16 years) and mental disorders diagnosed in the past 12 months by the Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview.ResultsOf the 60% of adults reporting at least one childhood adversity, 17% had a current (past 12 months) mental disorder, compared to 10% of the non-reporters. A moderate dose–response relationship between the total number of adversities and current disorders was observed. Paternal mental health problems associated particularly strongly with male depressive disorders (OR 4.46), and maternal mental health problems with female depressive disorders (OR 3.20). Although seldom reported, maternal alcohol problems associated with alcohol use disorders in both sexes. Being bullied at school and childhood family discord predicted a variety of adulthood disorders in both sexes. All these four adversity items were more typical for depressive disorders with an earlier onset. Among females, more adversities were associated with mental disorders and their statistical significance was greater than among males.ConclusionsThere are marked sex differences and several diagnosis-related patterns in the associations between reported childhood experiences and environmental circumstances and adulthood mental disorders. The impact of adversities is probably composed of a wide range of factors from direct causal associations to complex, interacting environmental effects. Variations in the reported associations reflect the differing genetic and environmental transmission mechanisms of mental disorders.

Cigarette smoking, alcohol intoxication and major depressive episode in a representative population sample

OBJECTIVE This study investigated the associations of cigarette smoking and alcohol intoxication with major depressive episode. DESIGN Major depressive episode during the past 12 months was assessed in a national representative cross sectional study using the Short Form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (the UM-CIDI Short Form). SUBJECTS A random sample of 5993 non-institutionalised Finnish people aged 15–75 years was interviewed as a part of the 1996 Finnish Health Care Survey. RESULTS In logistic regression models the factors associated with major depressive episode in the past 12 months were smoking 10 or more cigarettes daily (odds ratio (OR) 2.26; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 1.68, 3.04) and alcohol intoxication at least once a week (OR 2.99; 95%CI 1.70, 5.25). Their effects were independent of each other, and remained significant even after adjusting for other major risk factors (marital status, education, unemployment and chronic diseases). The attributable proportion (a measure of the impact of the risk factors of the disease on the population) for daily smoking of 10 or more cigarettes was 0.15, and for alcohol intoxication at least once a week 0.04. CONCLUSION Cigarette smoking and alcohol intoxication seem to be important risk factors for major depressive episode. In this population the impact of smoking was greater.

Antidepressant utilisation patterns and determinants of short-term and non-psychiatric use in the Finnish general adult population

BACKGROUND The aim was to study utilisation patterns and determinants of antidepressant use in the general population >30 years, especially short-term use or use not related to known psychiatric morbidity. METHODS Participants from a cross-sectional population-based Finnish Health 2000 Study (2000--2001) were linked with the National Prescription Register and National Care Register for Health Care. Within a representative sample (N=7112) of the adult population (>30 years), 12-month DSM-IV depressive, anxiety, and alcohol use disorders were assessed with the M-CIDI. Utilisation patterns of antidepressants were categorised to short-term, intermittent and continuous use. Factors predicting short-term use or use not related to known psychiatric morbidity were investigated. RESULTS Of Finnish adults 7.1% had used antidepressants in 2000, of which two-thirds reported a physician-diagnosed mental disorder; a third (35%) had major depressive or anxiety disorder during the previous 12 months. In terms of utilisation pattern, 43% were long-term users, 32% intermittent users and 26% short-term users. Short-term use was related to care by a general practitioner and having no known mental disorder. A quarter of all users had no known psychiatric morbidity. This type of user was most common among the older age groups, and inversely related to being single, on disability pension and using mental health services. LIMITATIONS Not all psychiatric indications for antidepressant use could be explored. CONCLUSIONS Depression remains the main indication for antidepressant use. About a quarter of users had no known psychiatric indication and the indication remained unclear. Short-term and non-psychiatric use are more commonly prescribed for the elderly.

Use of health services for major depressive episode in Finland.

BACKGROUND A universal finding in psychiatric epidemiology is that only a minority of currently depressed people seek or receive treatment. AIMS To investigate the predictors of use of health care services for depression. METHODS A representative random sample of 5993 non-institutionalised Finnish individuals aged 15-75 years was interviewed in 1996. Major depressive episode during the last 12 months was assessed using the Short Form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (the UM-CIDI Short Form). Characteristics and health service use of the 557 depressed individuals were assessed. RESULTS The proportion of people classified as having a major depressive episode who used any health services for their depression during the past 12 months was only 31% for men and 25% for women. Use of services was not predicted by sociodemographic factors. Longer duration, and greater severity and perceived disability predicted overall health service use for depression, but not significantly whether treatment was sought from primary or psychiatric care. CONCLUSIONS The probability of use of health services for major depression increases with duration, severity and perceived disability related to depression. Only 59% of those suffering from even the most severe major depressive episodes use health services for depression. Use appears to be unrelated to sociodemographic factors in Finland.

Treatment of major depressive disorder in the Finnish general population

Background: Few general population studies of the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) have included the whole spectrum of treatments. We estimated the rates of different treatments and the effect of individual and disorder characteristics plus provider type on treatment received. Methods: In the Health 2000 Study, a representative sample (n=6,005) from the adult Finnish population (≥30 years) were interviewed (CIDI) in 2000–2001 for the presence of DSM‐IV mental disorders during the past 12 months. Logistic regression models were used to examine factors influencing the type of treatment: either pharmacotherapies (antidepressants, anxiolytics, sedatives/hypnotics, antipsychotics) or psychological treatment. Results: Of the individuals with MDD (n=288), currently 24% used antidepressants, 11% anxiolytics, 16% sedatives/hypnotics, 5% antipsychotics, and 17% reported having received psychological treatment. Overall, 31% received antidepressants or psychological treatment or both; 18% received minimally adequate treatment. Of those 33% (n=94) using health care services for mental reasons, 76% received antidepressants or psychological treatment or both; 54% received minimal adequate treatment. In logistic regression models, the use of antidepressants was associated with female sex, being single, severe MDD, perceived disability, and comorbid dysthymic disorder; psychological treatment with being divorced, perceived disability, and comorbid anxiety disorder. Conclusions: Due to the low use of health services for mental reasons, only one‐third of subjects with MDD use antidepressants, and less than one‐fifth receives psychological treatment. The treatments provided are determined mostly by clinical factors such as severity and comorbidity, in part by sex and marital status, but not education or income. Depression and Anxiety 26:1049–1059, 2009.

Major depressive episode related to long unemployment and frequent alcohol intoxication.

We studied the association between two major problems – unemployment and major depressive episode – and the impact of different timing of periods of unemployment and risk factors, especially alcohol intoxication, for major depressive episode among the unemployed. Major depressive episode during the last 12 months, plus current and past employment status and frequency of alcohol intoxication, were assessed within the nationally representative, cross-sectional 1996 Finnish Health Care Survey, in which non-institutionalized individuals aged 15–75 years were interviewed by using the Short Form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (the UM-CIDI Short Form). Of the 5993 subjects interviewed, 3818 (64%) were occupationally active and included in the logistic regression analysis, showing that even after adjusting for other potentially confounding variables, current unemployment was associated with major depressive episode (odds ratio, OR = 1.78, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.38–2.29). Further analysis revealed that the increased risk of major depressive episode was only related to long-term unemployment. Frequent alcohol intoxication (at least once a week) increased the risk of major depressive episode remarkably. Compared with the group “Constantly employed, no frequent alcohol intoxication”, long-term unemployment with no frequent alcohol intoxication had moderately increased risk of major depressive episode (OR = 1.72 (95% CI 1.29–2.30) and those with frequent alcohol intoxication had highly increased risk [OR = 11.27 (95% CI 5.51–23.09) vs. OR = 1.72 (95% CI 1.29–2.30]. Long-term unemployment is associated with increased risk of major depressive episode. Frequent alcohol intoxication among long-term unemployed individuals greatly increases the risk of depression.

Spousal resemblance for history of major depressive episode in the previous year

BACKGROUND There is discrepancy in findings on spousal concordance for major depression. Here we report the risk of depression and its determinants in spouses of persons with or without depression, taking into account several known risk factors for major depression. METHODS A random sample of non-institutionalized Finnish individual aged 15-75 years was interviewed in the 1996 National Health Care Survey. The sample included 1708 male-female spouse pairs. Major depressive episode (MDE) during the last 12 months was assessed using the Short Form of the University of Michigan version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (the UM-CIDI Short Form). Risk factors were assessed in the same interview. RESULTS Factors associating with MDE were spouses MDE, own alcohol intoxication at least once a week and own chronic medical conditions. In addition, there was a strong association between females current smoking and males MDE, independently of other risk factors and spousal MDE. The association of MDE with spousess MDE was not affected by taking into account other assessed risk factors (own or spouses). CONCLUSIONS The results indicate elevated spouse concordance for MDE independent of the risk factors assessed in the present study.