Epidemiologia dos subtipos de depressão: análise de classes latentes dos sintomas depressivos em uma amostra populacional da região Metropolitana de São Paulo / Epidemiology of subtypes of depression: latent class analysis of depressive symptoms in a population-based sample of São Paulo Metropolitan Area

Clovis Alexandrino da Silva Junior

Introduction. Depression is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome characterized by distinct symptom profiles. However, few studies have investigated depressive subtypes in the community and their sociodemographic and clinical correlates, differentiating them on the presentation according to gender. Methods. Data comes from the São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey. One thousand two hundred and twelve subjects (869 women and 343 men) entered in the analysis and responded to the presence or absence of symptoms of the depression module of the WMH-CIDI questionnaire. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used. Statistical criteria (such as the Bayesian Information Criteria [BIC] and entropy) were applied to the determination of the number of classes that best classified the subjects. After obtaining the most suitable models, the classes were validated by clinical and sociodemographic correlates, using multinomial logistic regression. We also later examined the association between depressive subtypes and lifetime health service utilization. All analyses were performed in the program Mplus 6.12. Results. The best LCA model for the overall sample was a 3-class model, which were named Melancholic (37.8%), Atypical (17.83%) and Mild (44.37%). Those in the Atypical class had a high probability of irritability (81.8%) and anxiety (90.7%). In the final adjusted model, being in the Melancholic class was significantly associated with: having a bipolar spectrum disorder; an anxiety disorder; alcohol and drug dependence; greater disability; and higher education. Women in the Atypical class were more likely to have higher education and comorbidity with bipolar spectrum disorder and anxiety disorder. In the analysis of the subsample of women, the best LCA model was a 3-class model, with classes similar to the model of the overall sample: Melancholic (39.34%), Atypical (19.53%) and Mild (41.13%). In the final adjusted model for females, the Melancholic class was significantly associated with: bipolar spectrum disorder; anxiety disorder; alcohol and drug dependence; premenstrual dysphoric disorder; and greater disability. Women in this class, as compared to those in other classes, were more likely to have higher education and be separated, divorced or widowed. The Atypical class was significantly associated with: bipolar spectrum disorder; anxiety disorder; alcohol and drug dependence; and higher education. For males, the best LCA model was also a 3-class model: Melancholic (40.37%), Agitated (19.56%) and Mild (40.07%). Virtually all men belonging to Agitated class endorsed agitation and anxiety, and a large proportion (around 84%), irritability. In addition, respondents belonging to this class presented the highest proportions of racing thought (43.9%), increased energy (10.6%), and suicide attempt (10.5%), in a symptom profile similar to mixed states. The Agitated class was significantly associated with bipolar spectrum disorders, although this association did not remain in the adjusted model. The Melancholic class among men was associated with anxiety disorder and nicotine dependence. Even subjects of more symptomatic classes reported low lifetime use of services. Conclusions. Our study confirms that depressive subtypes such as melancholic, atypical and agitated can be identified in samples from the general population, corroborating the symptomatologic heterogeneity of the construct of depression of current classifications. Both symptom profiles and comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar spectrum, anxiety and substance dependence, have implications for the choice of treatment. These results may also contribute to establishing better criteria and specifiers of depressive subtypes in future editions of DSM and ICD

AUTOR(ES)

FONTE

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

RESUMO

ASSUNTO(S)

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

Documentos Relacionados