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Background: For some phenomena the mean of population distributions predicts the proportion of people exceeding a threshold value.Aims: To investigate whether in depression, too, the population mean predicts the number of individuals at the extreme end of the distribution.Method: We used data from the European Outcome in Depression International Network (ODIN) study from populations in Finland, Norway and the UK to create models that predicted the prevalence of depression based on the mean Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score. The models were tested on data from Ireland and Spain.Results: Mean BDI score correlated well with the prevalence of depression determined by clinical interviews. A model based on the beta distribution best fitted the BDI distribution. Both models predicted the depression prevalence in Ireland and Spain fairly well.Conclusions: The mean of a continuous population distribution of mood predicts the prevalence of depression. Characteristics of both individuals and populations determine depression rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This is the first report on the epidemiology of depressive disorders from the European Outcome of Depression International Network (ODIN) study.Aims: To assess the prevalence of depressive disorders in randomly selected samples of the general population in five European countries.Method: The study was designed as a cross-sectional two-phase community study using the Beck Depression inventory during Phase 1, and the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry during Phase 2.Results: An analysis of the combined sample (n=8.764) gave an overall prevalence of depressive disorders of 8.56% (95% CI 7.05-10.37). The figures were 10.05% (95% CI 7.80-12.85) for women and 6.61% (95% CI 4.92-8.83) for men. The centres fall into three categories: high prevalence (urban Ireland and urban UK), low prevalence (urban Spain) and medium prevalence (the remaining sites).Conclusions: Depressive disorder is a highly prevalent condition in Europe. The major finding is the wide difference in the prevalence of depressive disorders found across the study sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to previous studies the prevalence of adolescent depression is 4–8% both in the USA and Europe. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of adolescent depression separately in several European countries. Method: Data were drawn from the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) study, which included 11 countries (Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Romania, Slovenia and Spain) and Sweden served as the coordinating centre. Depression was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Adolescents with a score of 20 or greater on the BDI-II were defined as depressed. Multiple imputations were conducted to address missing data. Results: Out of 14,115 students who consented to participate, finally 12,395 adolescents (5,568 (44.92%) boys and 6,827 (55.08%) girls) were enrolled into the study. The mean age of the students was 14.81 years (SD=.83). Significant differences were detected in the ratio of non-depressed and depressed adolescents among countries (χ2(20)=385.352 p=.000). The prevalence of depressed adolescents ranged from 7.1% to 19.4%. The prevalence of depressed adolescents according to country in increasing order is: Hungary: 7.1%, Austria: 7.6%, Romania: 7.6%, Estonia: 7.9%, Ireland: 8.5%, Spain: 8.6%, Italy: 9.2%, Slovenia: 11.4%, Germany: 12.9%, France: 15.4%, Israel: 19.4%. Conclusion: Based on a screening tool our data underlines the importance of taking account country specific prevalence rates of adolescent depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between adaptive, maladaptive, and pathological Internet use and mental health problems, in particular depression, self-harm and suicidal behavior among a representative sample of adolescents from different European countries. Methods: A total of 7.000 students from different European countries were recruited for the SEYLE study, a European school-based intervention study, and completed a self-report questionnaire for baseline assessment. Internet behaviors were evaluated by the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire, depression by the BDI-II, self-harm by the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory and suicidal behavior by the Paykel Suicide Scale. Results: Pathological Internet users, who met the criteria for Internet addiction, showed significantly higher rates of depression, self-harm and suicidal behavior compared to students with adaptive Internet use. Remarkably, there were no significant differences in depression as well as self-harm and suicidal behavior between students suffering from Internet addiction and students presenting maladaptive Internet behaviors. Conclusion: These results clearly demonstrate that students presenting either Internet addiction as well as maladaptive Internet use are more likely to suffer from depression as well as self-harm and suicidal behaviour. However, the group of students with Internet addiction and the students presenting maladaptive Internet use did not significantly differ from each other. These results suggest that not only Internet addiction, but also maladaptive Internet use, is associated with symptoms of depression, self-harm and suicidal behavior. Therefore, more attention should be paid to adolescents with maladaptive Internet use in order to early recognize depression, self-harm and suicidality in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]