Major depression and suicide attempts in patients with liver disease in the United States.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Depression is common in patients with liver disease. Moreover, alcohol use is intricately linked with both major depression and liver disease, and has also been linked with suicidal behaviours, suggesting that the alcohol use may have an intermediate role in the relationship between liver disease and major depression or suicidal behaviours. This study presents nationally representative data on the prevalence of major depression in patients with liver disease in the United States and its association with suicide attempts.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). The NESARC is a survey of 43 093 adults aged 18 years and older in the United States. Medically recognized liver diseases were self-reported, and diagnoses of major depression were based on the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-DSM-IV version.

RESULT

The prevalence of liver disease was estimated at 0.7%. Respondents with a liver disease reported 12-month rates of major depression (17.2%) that were significantly higher than among respondents without liver disease (7.0%; Adjusted OR:2.2; CI: 1.2-4.1). Lifetime rates of suicide attempts among participants with a major depression were also higher in participants with a liver disease (33.2%) than among respondents without liver disease (13.7%; OR: 3.1; CI: 1.3-7.6).

CONCLUSIONS

Liver diseases are associated with major depression and suicide attempts among adults in the community. Adjustment for the amount of alcohol used or sociodemographical factors did not explain the observed association of liver disease with both major depression and suicide attempts.