Point prevalence of major depressive disorder in a Swedish urban female population.

In a representative sample of 800 women in Gothenburg, aged 38-54 years, the point prevalence of major depressive episode according to DSM-III criteria was 6.9%. Of these, 2.9% had a melancholic episode and 4.0% a non-melancholic. There was no age difference between the two groups. The episode duration was less than a year in 65% of both groups. Mean age at initial episode was significantly lower in the melancholic (33.3 years) than in the non-melancholic group (38.7). The melancholics presented symptoms of mental disorder before age 20 in 39% of cases as against 18% of the non-melancholics. None of the depressives had had a manic episode. The prevalence rate of 6.9% is of the same magnitude as rates recently found in other industrialized countries when standardized diagnostic criteria are used. The earlier onset of melancholic major depression might be indicative of etiological differences between melancholic and non-melancholic major depression.