Depressive disorders in three primary care populations: United States, Israel, Japan

Primary care patients in the United States, Israel and Japan received the Inventory to Diagnose Depression and the Dartmouth COOP Functional Status Charts modified for international use. Patients were classified as having major depressive disorder or minor depression. Although demographic characteristics varied by country, the rank order and frequency of the depressive symptoms were similar for both major and minor depression. Functional impairment was most severe in patients with major depression, less severe in those with minor depression and was least impaired in those not depressed. The results suggest that depressive disorders have similar presentations in the three countries studied, although the separate cultures confer different consequences on patients receiving these diagnoses.