Utility of the concept of minor depressive disorder: Evidence from a large rural community sample in a developing country setting

BackgroundEvidence on the utility of the minor depressive disorder diagnostic construct in rural communities and developing countries is scarce.AimTo assess the utility and validity of definitive minor depressive disorder in Ethiopia by determining its impact and sociodemographic correlates.MethodsAssessment of 68,378 adults, aged 15–49 years, living in a largely rural district in Ethiopia using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.ResultsThe lifetime prevalence of minor depressive disorder was 2.2% (95% CI = 2.1%, 2.3%). Age, marital status, education and unemployment independently predicted minor depressive disorder. Over 80% of cases used health services, 55.1% experienced persistent thoughts of death and 14.6% attempted suicide.LimitationFindings are based on lifetime estimates.ConclusionsMinor depressive disorder is an important public health problem in rural Ethiopia, as shown by the associated high health service use and risk behaviour. Sociodemographic correlates suggest aetiological continuity with major depression. Thus our findings extend the clinical and public health utility of this diagnostic construct to rural community and developing country settings.