Socioeconomic gradient of functional limitations in individuals diagnosed with mood disorders

The association between unfavorable socioeconomic conditions and higher prevalence of mood disorders has been well established. The detrimental impact of mood disorders on disability is also well established. Less is known about the socioeconomic gradient of disability in individuals with mood disorders. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a socioeconomic gradient in functional limitation existed in individuals with mood disorders living in Canada (4,720 women and 2,645 men). The study was based on secondary analyses of data collected in the Canadian Community Health Survey in 2005. Significant positive associations between prevalence of functional limitations and age, number of chronic conditions, and number of consultations with medical doctors were found for both genders. Adjusting for these factors, the odds of functional limitations declined with increasing socioeconomic status for both men and women. This gradient was more evident with income level than with education level. The odds of having functional limitations for women in the lowest income decile were 2.33 times the odds for women in the highest income decile. The corresponding odds for men were 3.56. Compared with post secondary graduates, women and men with less than high school education had 1.46 and 2.31 higher odds of functional limitations, respectively. No significant gender difference was observed in the associations between socioeconomic indicators and functional limitations. These findings suggest the importance of assessing functional limitations in individuals with mood disorders, especially those living in disadvantaged economic conditions.