Influence of socio-economic deprivation on the prevalence and outcome of depression in primary care: the Hampshire Depression Project.

BACKGROUND: Health inequalities exist for many disorders, but the contribution of deprivation to the prevalence and outcome of depressive symptoms in primary care populations has been infrequently studied. AIMS: To examine the influence of Jarman under-privileged area (UPA) scores on the prevalence and outcome of depressive symptoms in general practice patients. METHOD: 18 414 patients attending 55 representative practices completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and a questionnaire for employment status. Outcome of those screening positive was assessed at 6 weeks and 6 months. RESULTS: The UPA score accounted for 48.3% of the variance between practices in prevalence of depressive symptoms. Attending a high UPA score practice predicted persistence of depressive symptoms to 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: The socio-economic deprivation of a practice locality is a powerful predictor of the prevalence and persistence of depressive symptoms.