Increase in depression diagnoses and prescribed antidepressants among young girls. A national cohort study 2000–2013
Sammanfattning
Aims: To analyse trends in depression diagnoses and antidepressant use according to age and gender.
Methods: Nationwide cohort study including all women and men of 10–49 years living in Denmark
during 2000–2013. The Psychiatric Registry and Prescription Registry provided data on depression diagnoses
and antidepressant medication, respectively. Incidence rates as well as 1-year prevalence rates
were calculated.
Results: The incidence and 1-year prevalence rates of depression diagnoses increased during
2000–2013. The women/men rates were 2.0 for both 1-year prevalence of depressions diagnoses and
antidepressant use. For adolescent girls, the absolute increase was 3 per 1000 for depression diagnoses
and 8 per 1000 for first use of antidepressants, compared to boys who had an increase of 1.1 and 3
per 1000, respectively. Before puberty, boys and girls had almost the same incidence rates of both
depression diagnoses and antidepressant use throughout the period. After puberty, girls had significantly
higher incidence rates than boys, and experienced during the study period a steeper increase
than boys. According to age, the girls/boys incidence rate ratio of a depression diagnosis increased
from 0.8 in the 10–11 year age group to 2.7 at age 12–19 years and hereafter decreased with increasing
age to 1.5 at age 45–49.
Conclusions: Depression diagnosed and first use of antidepressants increased more for girls of 12–19
years than for boys during 2000–2013, and the incidences were similar for girls and boys before
puberty, but higher after puberty for girls.