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Major depressive disorders in young immigrants : A cohort study from primary healthcare settings in Sweden

Osooli, Mehdi LU orcid ; Ohlsson, Henrik LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2023) In Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 51(3). p.315-322
Abstract

Aims: Previous studies on major depressive disorder (MDD) among immigrants have reported mixed results. Using data from primary healthcare settings in Sweden, we compared the incidence of MDD among first- and second-generation immigrants aged 15–39 years with natives. Methods: This was a retrospective nationwide open cohort study. Eligible individuals were born 1965–1983, aged 15–39 years at baseline, and resided in Sweden for at least one year during the study period 2000–2015. We identified MDD cases through the Primary Care Registry (PCR). The follow-up for each individual started when they met the inclusion criteria and were registered in the PCR and ended at MDD diagnosis, death, emigration, moving to a county without PCR coverage,... (More)

Aims: Previous studies on major depressive disorder (MDD) among immigrants have reported mixed results. Using data from primary healthcare settings in Sweden, we compared the incidence of MDD among first- and second-generation immigrants aged 15–39 years with natives. Methods: This was a retrospective nationwide open cohort study. Eligible individuals were born 1965–1983, aged 15–39 years at baseline, and resided in Sweden for at least one year during the study period 2000–2015. We identified MDD cases through the Primary Care Registry (PCR). The follow-up for each individual started when they met the inclusion criteria and were registered in the PCR and ended at MDD diagnosis, death, emigration, moving to a county without PCR coverage, or the end of the study period, whichever came first. Results: The final sample included 1,341,676 natives and 785,860 immigrants. The MDD incidence rate per 1000 person-years ranged from 6.1 (95% confidence intervals: 6.1, 6.2) to 16.6 (95% confidence intervals: 16.2, 17.0) in native males and second-generation female immigrants with a foreign-born father, respectively. After adjusting for income, the MDD risk did not differ substantially between first-generation male and female immigrants and natives. However, male and female second-generation immigrants had a 16–29% higher adjusted risk of MDD than natives. Conclusions: This cohort study using primary healthcare data in Sweden, albeit incomplete, indicated that second-generation immigrants seem to be at a particularly high risk of MDDs. The underlying mechanisms need further investigation.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
First-generation, immigrant, major depressive disorders, primary healthcare, registry, second-generation, Sweden
in
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
volume
51
issue
3
pages
315 - 322
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85107897131
  • pmid:34120516
ISSN
1403-4948
DOI
10.1177/14034948211019796
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
cbc591f9-c0f8-4a71-b11a-3560914da87c
date added to LUP
2021-07-15 14:12:48
date last changed
2025-07-14 01:41:10
@article{cbc591f9-c0f8-4a71-b11a-3560914da87c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Aims: Previous studies on major depressive disorder (MDD) among immigrants have reported mixed results. Using data from primary healthcare settings in Sweden, we compared the incidence of MDD among first- and second-generation immigrants aged 15–39 years with natives. Methods: This was a retrospective nationwide open cohort study. Eligible individuals were born 1965–1983, aged 15–39 years at baseline, and resided in Sweden for at least one year during the study period 2000–2015. We identified MDD cases through the Primary Care Registry (PCR). The follow-up for each individual started when they met the inclusion criteria and were registered in the PCR and ended at MDD diagnosis, death, emigration, moving to a county without PCR coverage, or the end of the study period, whichever came first. Results: The final sample included 1,341,676 natives and 785,860 immigrants. The MDD incidence rate per 1000 person-years ranged from 6.1 (95% confidence intervals: 6.1, 6.2) to 16.6 (95% confidence intervals: 16.2, 17.0) in native males and second-generation female immigrants with a foreign-born father, respectively. After adjusting for income, the MDD risk did not differ substantially between first-generation male and female immigrants and natives. However, male and female second-generation immigrants had a 16–29% higher adjusted risk of MDD than natives. Conclusions: This cohort study using primary healthcare data in Sweden, albeit incomplete, indicated that second-generation immigrants seem to be at a particularly high risk of MDDs. The underlying mechanisms need further investigation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Osooli, Mehdi and Ohlsson, Henrik and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{1403-4948}},
  keywords     = {{First-generation; immigrant; major depressive disorders; primary healthcare; registry; second-generation; Sweden}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{315--322}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Public Health}},
  title        = {{Major depressive disorders in young immigrants : A cohort study from primary healthcare settings in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14034948211019796}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/14034948211019796}},
  volume       = {{51}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}