Using routine databases of statutory sickness funds for population wide analysis of depressive morbidity in Germany

Friedrich W. Schwartz, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
Thomas G Grobe, ISEG
Anke Brahmesfeld, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

Depressive disorders (ICD10 codes F32 and F33) are of growing importance in many industrialized countries. We present a approach to analyse the population wide morbidity of depressive disorders using administrative data of a nationwide established statuary sickness fund in Germany representing 1.7 percent of the German population. We used anonymized personal data of the years 2000-2004, including episodes of specialist care, sick leave, specific medications, in-patient treatments. Results: The prevalence of treated depressive conditions is 5 percent of the total German population respective 3 percent of all men and seven percent of all women. Persons with the diagnosis of depression have higher risks for other psychic or somatic diseases, for being jobless or living in the western part of Germany. The fact, that in the (“new”) eastern federal states of Germany ("Neue Bundesländer") the treated morbidity is about twenty percent lower, is a point of discussion.