Results of 1998 Korean Depression Screening Day and Sociodemographic Characteristics of Participants

Kim, Kwang Soo; Jang, Giu Ho; Chae, Jeong Ho; Bahk, Won Myong; Lee, Chung Tai; Lew, Tae Yul; Paik, In Ho; Bang, Seung Kyu; Lee, Sung Pil; Jun, Tae Youn; Han, Sang Ick; Choi, Bo Moon; Go, Hyo Jin

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of participants in '1998 Korean Depression Screening Day' and to evaluate the results of the screening test.
METHODS
By using the survey results of 619 volunteers from 8 hospitals, the authors examined the prevalence of depression detected at the screening test and sociodemographic characteristics and the psychiatric treatment history of respondents. The assessment measure was the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale.
RESULTS
The mean depression score of all participants was 57.5+/-13.8 and it came under mild depression. Of all participants, 69.5% (N=430)had at least mild depressive symptoms, 43.1% (N=267)had at least moderate symptoms, and 18.4% (N=114)had severe symptoms. Never have 56.8% of respondents in the severely depressed range and 63.9% of those in the moderately depressed range had psychiatric treatment. The results suggest that the age group of 29-year-old or younger (relative to 60-year-old or older group)and full-time employment status (relative to unemployment)are protective factors of depression.
CONCLUSIONS
By '1998 Korean Depression Screening Day', many depressed patients were detected and their depressive symptoms had statistically significant relationships with some sociodemographic characteristics. The results suggest that the education and screening test programs for depressive illness facilitated by Depression Screening Day are useful to the patients regardless of being under current treatment or not.