The prevalence of Depression among Chronic Health Conditions: results from NHANES data 2005 to 2018
Authors
Kalony Lin
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Annotation
Background
Depression as a multifaceted psychological disorder has grown in prevalence in recent years. This study investigates the trends and prevalence of depression symptoms in the United States from 2005 to 2018, with a particular focus on its relationship with chronic physical conditions including diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and high cholesterol levels.
Method
Using data from NHANES, the responses of 70,190 participants in self-reported surveys are analyzed in terms of depression severity, demographic factors, and chronic conditions from 2005 to 2018. Depression prevalence was categorized into four groups of severities based on PHQ-9 scores, while chronicle conditions were determined with yes and no responses. R was used to carry out statistical analysis for an evaluation of trends and associations.
Results
Depressive symptom prevalence showed increases over time, with females constantly showing a higher percentage compared to males. On average, the depressive prevalence in chronic condition patients fluctuated around 30% while the average prevalence was around 20%. Participants of all four chronic physical conditions show a higher prevalence of depression, suggesting an association.
Conclusion
The results of this study support the associations between chronic health conditions with the development of depressive symptoms. The indicated association highlights the importance of healthcare which integrates physical treatments with mental healthcare interventions.
Keywords
Authors
Kalony Lin
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References:
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