Mental health in Northern Sweden: focusing on depressive symptoms; a risk factors analysis
2016 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Introduction: World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) have classified depressive disorders as the unique most burdensome disease from the point of overall DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) among individuals in working ages. The continuous monitoring is of great importance for prevention and controlling strategies and it could be linked to economic development in the country via reducing DALYs. The rate of mental disorders has increased in Sweden during last years. In the present thesis, we aim to analyze the risk factors and prevalence of clinical depression in Northern Sweden.
Material & Methods:An empirical cross-sectional study performed based on a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of inhabitants in Northern Sweden. 23560 individuals responded to the question about taking medicine for depression in last three months, which considered as the target sample. Descriptive statistics was used to measure prevalence of depression across different sociodemographic, social and behavioral factors. Pearson Chi square test was used for comparative purposes. Univariate/Multiple logistic regressions were conducted to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratio for depression across different explanatory variables (P<0.05 considered significant). Hosmer-Lemeshow test was applied for goodness of fit in regression models (P>0.05 considered good fit).
Results & Discussion:The point prevalence of clinical depression estimated 6.06% (4.24% in male and 7.61% in female) in Northern Sweden for 2014. Logistic regression showed that using medicines (for anxiety, sleeplessness, diabetes), physical inactivity, vegetable-free diet were all associated with increased risk of depression in north of Sweden (P<0.00.5-0.05). High physical activity, being Farmer and Self-employed, high social support were strongly associated with low risk of depression (P<0.00.5-0.05). No ascending linear association was observed for clinical depression in relation to increasing age, education, and vegetable (P>0.05). However, a gradient was detected for income, physical activity and social support (P<0.05).
Conclusion:This study shows that the depressive symptoms is relatively higher in Northern Sweden than whole Sweden on average. There is a slight increase in the rate of depression in Northern Sweden compared to 2009. Meanwhile, women are more susceptible to get diagnosed with clinical depression in Northern Sweden. Protective factors for clinical depression are being employed as a farmer and being physically active. Nevertheless, a combination of different risk factors related to depression was observed. Further research is required to find underlying causes of the higher rate of depression in women, risk factors related to different age groups.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2016. , p. 54
Series
Centre for Public Health Report Series, ISSN 1651-341X ; 2016:49
Keywords [en]
Mental health, depression, physical activity, diet, medicine, social support
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-152614OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-152614DiVA, id: diva2:1256179
External cooperation
Hälsa på lika villkor - Västerbottens läns landsting
Educational program
Master's Programme in Public Health (one-year)
Presentation
2016-10-24, Dentistry building, 9th floor , lecture room D, Norrlands University Hospital, Umeå, 10:05 (English)
Supervisors
Examiners
2018-10-222018-10-162018-10-22Bibliographically approved