Depression and anxiety in Swedish primary health care: prevalence, incidence, and risk factors

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and incidence of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and stress and adjustment disorders in primary health care in Sweden and to analyse the relationship between socioeconomic and demographic factors and incidence of these disorders. Prevalence and incidence data on the study population was retrieved from a Swedish primary health care database. A cohort study design was used to examine the incidence of, and risk factors for, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and stress and adjustment disorders. Cox regression models were used in the statistical analyses. The overall 12-month prevalence of these clinically diagnosed disorders was 2.4 % (3.2 % in women and 1.5 % in men). The overall incidence was 18.4 per 1,000 person-years. The strongest sociodemographic risk factors for these disorders were female gender (HR = 2.04), low family income (HR = 1.52), living in a large city (HR = 1.37), and age 35–44 years (HR = 1.20). This large-scale study examined the prevalence and incidence of common psychiatric disorders diagnosed in primary health care, as well as the potential influence of sociodemographic factors on these disorders. The information obtained is useful for clinicians in primary health care and decision-makers.