Course of depression: findings from cross-sectional survey in rural Udmurtia

The aim of this study was to investigate the course of depression and to find the predictors of its chronicity and recurrence in the rural population of Udmurtia. In the sample of 232 respondents identified as having cases of unipolar depression, 21.1% had single episodes, 62.5% had recurrent episodes, and a chronic course was evident in 16.4%. Two demographic factors, Udmurt ethnicity and unmarried marital status, were significantly associated with both recurrent and chronic course of depression. A history of suicide attempt was associated only with recurrent depression; however, a trend towards a higher rate of suicide attempts was also found in the chronic depression subgroup. Factors associated only with chronic depression were poor family relationships and comorbidity with dysthymia.