[Depressed patients: prevalence, characteristics and medical consultation]

Based on the data of a survey (1991-1992) on health and health care on a sample representative of the French population, it has been established that prevalence of depression is of 4.7 per 100 people. Women are depressive more often than men : 6.7 per cent compared to 2.6 per cent. Prevalence of depression increases with age and is at its peak between 60 and 80 years of age. The depressed declare more diseases and the percentage of people consuming health care is among the depressed twice that of non-depressed.