Prevalence of depression in a large regionally representative population sample in Côte d'Ivoire

Depression is one of the main contributors to the global burden of disease. Data on depression in low- and middle-income countries are still lacking, making optimal intervention planning and programming difficult.

We used regionally representative data from the Taabo Multiple Generations Cohort (Taabo MGC) to describe the prevalence of depression in rural Côte d'Ivoire. Moderate or severe depression was defined as a PHQ-9 score > = 10. We investigated overall prevalence rates as well as prevalence rates by sex, age, residence and wealth.

Data from 5,093 women and 3,600 men were analyzed. Overall, 7.8% of the individuals in our sample reported moderate to severe depression symptoms. The prevalence of moderate to severe depression was almost double in women (9.6% [8.83-10.45%]) than in men (5.2% [4.52-5.98%])). Adults over 60 years of age showed the highest rates of depression, with 13.4% (11.40-15.45%).

The results presented here suggest that the depression burden in rural Côte d'Ivoire is moderate, with a particularly high burden among women and elderly individuals. Mental health services are needed to specifically support this population.