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

BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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%). CONCLUSIONS: 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.