Congruence between diagnosis of recurrent major depressive disorder and psychotropic treatment in the general population.

OBJECTIVE: We explored in a sample representative of the French general population the congruence between lifetime use of psychotropic drugs and diagnosis of recurrent major depressive disorder (rMDD).

METHOD: A total of 2111 (5.6%) subjects with rMDD were identified in the sample of 36 785 subjects assessed in the Mental Health survey in the General Population. A treatment congruent with a diagnosis of rMDD was defined as lifetime use of antidepressants or mood stabilizers.

RESULTS: Only one-third of subjects with rMDD reported having ever used a congruent treatment. Female gender, higher income and presence of anxiety disorder were associated with a higher probability of having used a congruent treatment.

CONCLUSION: Although these findings indicate that a large proportion of subjects with rMMD do not benefit from adequate treatment, community surveys not primarily designed to assess utilization and adequacy of psychotropic treatment in the community may overestimate the frequency of unmet need for care.