Quantifying point prevalence of major depressive episode using lifetime structured diagnostic interviews

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Accurate mental disorder prevalence estimates are crucial for effective policy and practice.
• The study addresses the need to compare different interview methods for assessing mental health conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare point (30-day) prevalence estimates of major depressive episode (MDE).
• To evaluate MDE estimates derived from a lifetime diagnostic interview versus a current-focused interview.

Main Methods:

• Face-to-face surveys utilized two versions of the WMH-CIDI depression module: lifetime and current.
• 164 participants were randomly assigned to either the lifetime or current version of the WMH-CIDI.
• Point prevalent cases from both interview versions were compared.

Main Results:

• The risk of a current MDE diagnosis was slightly, though not significantly, higher with the lifetime interview (RR=1.29).
• Point prevalent cases derived from both interview types showed similar depression-related clinical characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Sample size limited definitive conclusions on prevalence estimate equivalence.
• Findings suggest lifetime interviews might slightly inflate MDE point prevalence, but clinical characteristics remain comparable.