MDD Is Highly Prevalent, Disabling in US Adults

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent, comorbid, and disabling among US adults, according to new research.

These findings emerged from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III (NESARC-III), which was administered to 36,309 noninstitutionalized civilian adults from 2012 to 2013.
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The results showed that the 12-month and lifetime prevalence of MDD in this cohort was 10.4% and 20.6%, respectively.

The majority of lifetime MDD cases were found to be moderate (39.7%) or severe (49.5%), and almost 70% of respondents with lifetime MDD received some form of treatment.

Approximately 12.9% of cases of lifetime MDD were spurred by the death of a loved one and lasted less than 2 months. However, among those with severe depression, functioning was found to be approximately 1 standard deviation below the national mean.

The likelihood of 12-month MDD was significantly lower in men and in African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic adults (odds ratios [ORs] 0.5, 0.6, 0.6, 0.7, respectively) compared with white adults.

The risk of MDD was also found to be higher in younger adults aged 18 to 29 years (OR 3.0) and in those with incomes of $19,999 or less (OR 1.7).

Adjusted ORs (aORs) pertaining to associations between MDD and psychiatric disorders ranged from 2.1 for specific phobia to 5.7 for generalized anxiety disorder, and aORs calculated for substance use disorders ranged from 1.8 for alcohol to 3.0 for any drug.

Notably, in this cohort, the researchers found that “while most cases received some treatment, a substantial minority did not,” signifying that “much remains to be learned about the [Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition] MDD specifiers in the general population.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Hasin DS, Sarvet AL, Meyers JL, et al. Epidemiology of adult DSM-5 major depressive disorder and its specifiers in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018; 75(4):336-346. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4602

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