Risk of fibromyalgia following antibiotic prescriptions: A population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The health of the gut microbiome is now recognized to be an important component of the gut-brain axis which itself appears to be implicated in pain perception. Antibiotics are known to create dysbiosis in the microbiome, so whether fibromyalgia is more commonly diagnosed after antibiotic prescriptions provides a means of exploring the role of the microbiome in the experience of chronic pain. METHODS: A case-control study was carried out using electronic health records collected in the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), a comprehensive database of primary care consultations. For each case of diagnosed fibromyalgia, three controls were identified and matched by age, gender and GP practice. The exposure variable was the number and timing of antibiotic prescriptions over previous years. The analysis involved adjusting for a wide range of co-variates that might be possible confounders. RESULTS: A total of 44,674 cases of fibromyalgia were identified together with 133,513 controls. After adjusting for co-variates, it was found that both the total number of prescriptions and their timing was associated with an FM diagnosis. For example, the quartile with the highest number of prescriptions and that with the longest exposure had a greater than three-fold increase in FM diagnoses (number of prescriptions: odds ratio 3.92; 95% CIs: 3.71-4.13; exposure odds ratio 3.28; CIs: 3.13-3.43). Some antibiotics (such as tetracyclines and metronidazole) seemed to confer greater risk than others. CONCLUSIONS: The results lend support for prior antibiotics being an important risk factor for a diagnosis of FM. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows an association between the volume as well as timing of prior antibiotic prescriptions and of a subsequent diagnosis of fibromyalgia in primary care.

Association of coexistence of frailty and depressive symptoms with mortality in community-dwelling older adults: Kashiwa Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the longitudinal associations of the coexistence of frailty and depressive symptoms with mortality among older adults. METHODS: The study participants were community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years who participated in the baseline survey of the Kashiwa Cohort Study in Japan in 2012. We used Fried's frailty phenotype criteria to classify participants as non-frail (score = 0), pre-frail (1 or 2), or frail (≥3). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the GDS-15 (≥6 points). Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association of co-occurring frailty and depressive symptoms with all-cause mortality, after adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: The study included 1920 participants, including 810 non-frail, 921 pre-frail, and 189 frail older adults, of which 9.0 %, 15.7 %, and 36.0 %, respectively, had depressive symptoms. Ninety-one (4.7 %) participants died during the average follow-up period of 4.8 years. Compared with non-frail participants without depressive symptoms, frail participants had greater adjusted hazard ratios for mortality: 2.47 (95 % CI, 1.16 to 5.25) for frail participants without depressive symptoms and 4.34 (95 % CI, 1.95 to 9.65) for frail participants with depressive symptoms. However, no statistically significant associations were observed in non-frail or pre-frail participants irrespective of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Frail older adults with depressive symptoms have a substantially greater risk of mortality. Screening for depressive symptoms and frailty in older adults should be incorporated into health checkups and clinical practice to identify high-risk populations.

Reconsidering the Use of Population Health Surveys for Monitoring of Mental Health.

Monitoring of the mental health status of the population and assessment of its determinants are 2 of the most relevant pillars of public mental health, and data from population health surveys could be instrumental to support them. Although these surveys could be an important and suitable resource for these purposes, due to different limitations and challenges, they are often relegated to the background behind other data sources, such as electronic health records. These limitations and challenges include those related to measurement properties and cross-cultural validity of the tools used for the assessment of mental disorders, their degree of representativeness, and possible difficulties in the linkage with other data sources. Successfully addressing these limitations could significantly increase the potential of health surveys in the monitoring of mental disorders and ultimately maximize the impact of the relevant policies to reduce their burden at the population level. The widespread use of data from population health surveys, ideally linked to electronic health records data, would enhance the quality of the information available for research, public mental health decision-making, and ultimately addressing the growing burden of mental disorders.

Severe mental illness, race/ethnicity, multimorbidity and mortality following COVID-19 infection: nationally representative cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The association of COVID-19 with death in people with severe mental illness (SMI), and associations with multimorbidity and ethnicity, are unclear. AIMS: To determine all-cause mortality in people with SMI following COVID-19 infection, and assess whether excess mortality is affected by multimorbidity or ethnicity. METHOD: This was a retrospective cohort study using primary care data from the Clinical Practice Research Database, from February 2020 to April 2021. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the effect of SMI on all-cause mortality during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Among 7146 people with SMI (56% female), there was a higher prevalence of multimorbidity compared with the non-SMI control group (n = 653 024, 55% female). Following COVID-19 infection, the SMI group experienced a greater risk of death compared with controls (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.53, 95% CI 1.39-1.68). Black Caribbean/Black African people were more likely to die from COVID-19 compared with White people (aHR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.12-1.34), with similar associations in the SMI group and non-SMI group (P for interaction = 0.73). Following infection with COVID-19, for every additional multimorbidity condition, the aHR for death was 1.06 (95% CI 1.01-1.10) in the SMI stratum and 1.16 (95% CI 1.15-1.17) in the non-SMI stratum (P for interaction = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Following COVID-19 infection, patients with SMI were at an elevated risk of death, further magnified by multimorbidity. Black Caribbean/Black African people had a higher risk of death from COVID-19 than White people, and this inequity was similar for the SMI group and the control group.

Prevalence and variability of depressive symptoms in Europe: update using representative data from the second and third waves of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS-2 and EHIS-3).

BACKGROUND: Assessing the prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms and their possible variation by country and over time could be a valuable resource to inform the development of public health policies and preventive resources to reduce mental health burden. We aimed to assess cross-national differences in the point prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in Europe in 2018-20, and to evaluate point prevalence differences between countries and over time between 2013-15 and 2018-20. METHODS: In this population-based study, data from participants in the second and third waves of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS-2 from 2013 to 2015 and EHIS-3 from 2018 to 2020) from 30 European countries were used (n=542 580). From the total sample, 283 692 participants belonging to EHIS-3 were included in the study (52·4% women and 47·5% men). The non-response in EHIS-3 ranged by country, from 12% to 78%. Point prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms was evaluated using a cutoff score of 10 or more for the 8-item version of the Patient Health Questionnaire. Crude prevalence ratios and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) were obtained to assess differences in the prevalence between countries and over time within countries. FINDINGS: The point prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in Europe in 2018-20 was 6·54% (95% CI 6·34-6·73), ranging across countries from 1·85% (1·53-2·17) in Greece to 10·72% (10·04-11·40) in Sweden. Compared with the other European countries, those with the lowest aPRs were Greece, Serbia, and Cyprus and those with the highest aPRs were Belgium, Slovenia, and Croatia. A small but significant increase in the prevalence between EHIS-2 and EHIS-3 was observed (aPR 1·11 [1·07-1·14]). A wide variability over time in the point prevalence within countries was observed, ranging from an aPR of 0·63 (0·54-0·74) in Hungary to 1·88 (1·53-2·31) in Slovenia. INTERPRETATION: This study, based on large and representative datasets and a valid and reliable screening tool for the assessment of depression, indicates that the point prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in Europe from 2013 to 2020 remains relatively stable, with wide variability between countries. These findings could be considered a baseline for monitoring the prevalence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms in Europe, and could inform policy for the development of preventive strategies for depression both at a country and European level. FUNDING: Center for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health Network and AGAUR.

Reliability and cross-country equivalence of the 8-item version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) for the assessment of depression: results from 27 countries in Europe.

Background: The 8-item version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) is one of the self-reported questionnaires most frequently used worldwide for the screening and severity assessment of depression. However, in some European countries its reliability is unknown, and it is unclear whether its psychometric properties vary between European countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the internal structure, reliability and cross-country equivalence of the PHQ-8 in Europe. Methods: All participants from the 27 countries included in the second wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS-2) between 2014 and 2015 with complete information on the PHQ-8 were included (n = 258,888). The internal structure of the PHQ-8 was assessed using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) for categorical items. Additionally, the reliability of the questionnaire was assessed based on the internal consistency, Item Response Theory information functions, and item-discrimination (using Graded Response Models), and the cross-country equivalence based on multi-group CFA. Findings: The PHQ-8 shows high internal consistency for all countries. The countries in which the PHQ-8 was more reliable were Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus and less reliable were Iceland, Norway and Austria. The PHQ-8 item with highest discrimination was item 2 (feeling down, depressed, or hopeless) in 24 of the 27 countries. Measurement invariance between countries in Europe was observed from multigroup CFA at the configural, metric and scalar levels. Interpretation: The results from our study, likely the largest study to the date assessing the internal structure, reliability and cross-country comparability of a self-reported mental health assessment measure, shows that the PHQ-8 has an adequate reliability and cross-country equivalence across the 27 European countries included. These results highlight the suitability of the comparisons of the PHQ-8 scores in Europe. They could be helpful to improve the screening and severity assessment of depressive symptoms at the European level. Funding: This work was partially funded by CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP) as part of the Intramural call of 2021 (ESP21PI05).

The relationship between air pollution and multimorbidity: Can two birds be killed with the same stone?

Air pollution and multimorbidity are two of the most important challenges for Public Health worldwide. Although there is a large body of evidence linking air pollution with the development of different single chronic conditions, the evidence about the relationship between air pollution and multimorbidity (the co-occurrence of multiple long-term conditions) is sparse. To obtain evidence about this relationship could be challenging and different aspects should be considered, such as its multifaceted and complex nature, the specific pollutants and their potential influence on health, their levels of exposure over time, or the data that could be used for its study. This evidence could be instrumental to inform the development of new recommendations and measures to reduce harmful levels of air pollutants, as means to prevent the development of multimorbidity and reduce its burden.

Ethnic differences in physical and mental multimorbidity in working age adults with a history of depression and/or anxiety.

BACKGROUND: The current study used data from an ethnically diverse population from South London to examine ethnic differences in physical and mental multimorbidity among working age (18-64 years) adults in the context of depression and anxiety. METHOD: The study included 44 506 patients who had previously attended Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services in the London Borough of Lambeth. Multinomial logistic regression examined cross-sectional associations between ethnicity with physical and mental multimorbidity. Patterns of multimorbidity were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. RESULTS: Within 44 056 working age adults with a history of depression or anxiety from South London there were notable ethnic differences in physical multimorbidity. Adults of Black Caribbean ethnicity were more likely to have physical multimorbidity [adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR) = 1.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-1.36] compared to adults of White ethnicity. Relative to adults of White ethnicity, adults of Asian ethnicity were more likely to have physical multimorbidity at higher thresholds only (e.g. 4 + conditions; aRRR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.17-2.00). Three physical (atopic, cardiometabolic, mixed) and three mental (alcohol/substance use, common/severe mental illnesses, personality disorder) multimorbidity clusters emerged. Ethnic minority groups with multimorbidity had a higher probability of belonging to the cardiometabolic cluster. CONCLUSION: In an ethnically diverse population with a history of common mental health disorders, we found substantial between- and within-ethnicity variation in rates of physical, but not mental, multimorbidity. The findings emphasised the value of more granular definitions of ethnicity when examining the burden of physical and mental multimorbidity.

Physical multimorbidity, depressive symptoms, and social participation in adults over 50 years of age: findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to identify specific patterns of physical multimorbidity and examine how these patterns associated with changes in social participation over time. METHODS: We used latent class analysis to identify clusters of physical multimorbidity in 11,391 older adults. Mixed effects regression models were used to assess associations between physical multimorbidity clusters and changes in social participation over 15 years. RESULTS: Four clusters of physical multimorbidity were identified. All physical multimorbidity clusters were associated with a reduction in cultural engagement (e.g. visits to theatre, cinema, museums) over time, with the strongest association seen in the complex/multisystem cluster (ß = -0.26, 95% CI = -0.38 to -0.15). Similar results emerged for leisure activities. Adjusting for depressive symptoms fully attenuated some associations. All physical multimorbidity clusters were associated with an increase in civic participation over time. CONCLUSIONS: Physical multimorbidity reduced some aspects of social participation over time, with specific combinations of conditions having increased risk of reductions.Supplemental data for this article is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.2017847.

Associations between air pollution and multimorbidity in the UK Biobank: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Long-term exposure to air pollution concentrations is known to be adversely associated with a broad range of single non-communicable diseases, but its role in multimorbidity has not been investigated in the UK. We aimed to assess associations between long-term air pollution exposure and multimorbidity status, severity, and patterns using the UK Biobank cohort. Methods: Multimorbidity status was calculated based on 41 physical and mental conditions. We assessed cross-sectional associations between annual modeled particulate matter (PM)2.5, PMcoarse, PM10, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations (µg/m3-modeled to residential address) and multimorbidity status at the baseline assessment (2006-2010) in 364,144 people (mean age: 52.2 ± 8.1 years, 52.6% female). Air pollutants were categorized into quartiles to assess dose-response associations. Among those with multimorbidity (≥2 conditions; n = 156,395) we assessed associations between air pollutant exposure levels and multimorbidity severity and multimorbidity patterns, which were identified using exploratory factor analysis. Associations were explored using generalized linear models adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioral, and environmental indicators. Results: Higher exposures to PM2.5, and NO2 were associated with multimorbidity status in a dose-dependent manner. These associations were strongest when we compared the highest air pollution quartile (quartile 4: Q4) with the lowest quartile (Q1) [PM2.5: adjusted odds ratio (adjOR) = 1.21 (95% CI = 1.18, 1.24); NO2: adjOR = 1.19 (95 % CI = 1.16, 1.23)]. We also observed dose-response associations between air pollutant exposures and multimorbidity severity scores. We identified 11 multimorbidity patterns. Air pollution was associated with several multimorbidity patterns with strongest associations (Q4 vs. Q1) observed for neurological (stroke, epilepsy, alcohol/substance dependency) [PM2.5: adjOR = 1.31 (95% CI = 1.14, 1.51); NO2: adjOR = 1.33 (95% CI = 1.11, 1.60)] and respiratory patterns (COPD, asthma) [PM2.5: adjOR = 1.24 (95% CI = 1.16, 1.33); NO2: adjOR = 1.26 (95% CI = 1.15, 1.38)]. Conclusions: This cross-sectional study provides evidence that exposure to air pollution might be associated with having multimorbid, multi-organ conditions. Longitudinal studies are needed to further explore these associations.

Prior antibiotics and risk of subsequent Herpes zoster: A population-based case control study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of antibiotics on the human microbiome is now well established, but their indirect effect on the related immune response is less clear. The possible association of Herpes zoster, which involves a reactivation of a previous varicella zoster virus infection, with prior antibiotic exposure might indicate a potential link with the immune response. METHODS: A case-control study was carried out using a clinical database, the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink. A total of 163,754 patients with varicella zoster virus infection and 331,559 age/sex matched controls were identified and their antibiotic exposure over the previous 10 years, and longer when data permitted, was identified. Conditional logistic regression was used to identify the association between antibiotic exposure and subsequent infection in terms of volume and timing. RESULTS: The study found an association of antibiotic prescription and subsequent risk of varicella zoster virus infection (adjusted odds ratio of 1.50; 95%CIs: 1.42-1.58). The strongest association was with a first antibiotic over 10 years ago (aOR: 1.92; 95%CIs: 1.88-1.96) which was particularly pronounced in the younger age group of 18 to 50 (aOR 2.77; 95%CIs: 1.95-3.92). CONCLUSIONS: By finding an association between prior antibiotics and Herpes zoster this study has shown that antibiotics may be involved in the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus. That effect, moreover, may be relatively long term. This indirect effect of antibiotics on viruses, possibly mediated through their effect on the microbiome and immune system, merits further study.

Multimorbidity and fit note receipt in working-age adults with long-term health conditions.

BACKGROUND: Research on sickness absence has typically focussed on single diagnoses, despite increasing recognition that long-term health conditions are highly multimorbid and clusters comprising coexisting mental and physical conditions are associated with poorer clinical and functional outcomes. The digitisation of sickness certification in the UK offers an opportunity to address sickness absence in a large primary care population. METHODS: Lambeth Datanet is a primary care database which collects individual-level data on general practitioner consultations, prescriptions, Quality and Outcomes Framework diagnostic data, sickness certification (fit note receipt) and demographic information (including age, gender, self-identified ethnicity, and truncated postcode). We analysed 326 415 people's records covering a 40-month period from January 2014 to April 2017. RESULTS: We found significant variation in multimorbidity by demographic variables, most notably by self-defined ethnicity. Multimorbid health conditions were associated with increased fit note receipt. Comorbid depression had the largest impact on first fit note receipt, more than any other comorbid diagnoses. Highest rates of first fit note receipt after adjustment for demographics were for comorbid epilepsy and rheumatoid arthritis (HR 4.69; 95% CI 1.73-12.68), followed by epilepsy and depression (HR 4.19; 95% CI 3.60-4.87), chronic pain and depression (HR 4.14; 95% CI 3.69-4.65), cardiac condition and depression (HR 4.08; 95% CI 3.36-4.95). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show striking variation in multimorbid conditions by gender, deprivation and ethnicity, and highlight the importance of multimorbidity, in particular comorbid depression, as a leading cause of disability among working-age adults.

All-cause and cause-specific mortality in people with mental disorders and intellectual disabilities, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: cohort study.

BACKGROUND: People with mental disorders and intellectual disabilities experience excess mortality compared with the general population. The impact of COVID-19 on exacerbating this, and in widening ethnic inequalities, is unclear. METHODS: Prospective data (N=167,122) from a large mental healthcare provider in London, UK, with deaths from 2019 to 2020, used to assess age- and gender-standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) across nine psychiatric conditions (schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, affective disorders, somatoform/ neurotic disorders, personality disorders, learning disabilities, eating disorders, substance use disorders, pervasive developmental disorders, dementia) and by ethnicity. FINDINGS: Prior to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring COVID-19 a public health emergency on 30th January 2020, all-cause SMRs across all psychiatric cohorts were more than double the general population. By the second quarter of 2020, when the UK experienced substantial peaks in COVID-19 deaths, all-cause SMRs increased further, with COVID-19 SMRs elevated across all conditions (notably: learning disabilities: SMR: 9.24 (95% CI: 5.98-13.64), pervasive developmental disorders: 5.01 (95% CI: 2.40-9.20), eating disorders: 4.81 (95% CI: 1.56-11.22), schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: 3.26 (95% CI: 2.55-4.10), dementia: 3.82 (95% CI: 3.42, 4.25) personality disorders 4.58 (95% CI: 3.09-6.53)). Deaths from other causes remained at least double the population average over the whole year. Increased SMRs were similar across ethnic groups. INTERPRETATION: People with mental disorders and intellectual disabilities were at a greater risk of deaths relative to the general population before, during and after the first peak of COVID-19 deaths, with similar risks by ethnicity. Mortality from non-COVID-19/ other causes was elevated before/ during the pandemic, with higher COVID-19 mortality during the pandemic. FUNDING: ESRC (JD, CM), NIHR (JD, RS, MH), Health Foundation (JD), GSK, Janssen, Takeda (RS).

Depressive symptoms during early adulthood and the development of physical multimorbidity in the UK: an observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: An understanding of whether early-life depression is associated with physical multimorbidity could be instrumental for the development of preventive measures and the integrated management of depression. We therefore aimed to map out the cumulative incidence of physical multimorbidity over adulthood, and to determine the association between the presence of depressive symptoms during early adulthood and the development of physical multimorbidity in middle age. METHODS: In this observational cohort study, we used pooled data from the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS) and the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS). Cohort waves were pooled in each decade of adult life available (when cohort members were aged 26 years in the BCS and 23 years in the NCDS [baseline]; 34 years in the BCS and 33 years in the NCDS [age 34 BCS/33 NCDS]; 42 years in the BCS and NCDS [age 42 BCS/NCDS]; and 46 years in the BCS and 50 years in the NCDS [age 46 BCS/50 NCDS]). We included participants who had completed the nine-item Malaise Inventory at baseline, and did not have a history of physical multimorbidity, any physical multimorbidity at baseline, or the presence of depressive symptoms before the development of physical multimorbidity. The presence of depressive symptoms was determined using the nine-item Malaise Inventory (cutoff score ≥4). Physical multimorbidity was defined as having at least two measures of any of the following ten self-reported groups of long-term conditions: asthma or bronchitis; backache; bladder or kidney conditions; cancer; cardiovascular conditions; convulsions or epilepsy; diabetes; hearing conditions; migraine; and stomach, bowel, or gall conditions. Cumulative incidence (with 95% CI) of physical multimorbidity was calculated for each decade considered after baseline, with physical multimorbidity being assessed as both a dichotomous and categorical variable. The association between depressive symptoms and the development of physical multimorbidity was assessed using adjusted relative risk ratios (with 95% CIs). FINDINGS: Analyses included 15 845 participants, of whom 4001 (25·25%; 95% CI 24·57-25·93) had depressive symptoms at baseline and 11 844 (74·75%; 74·07-75·42) did not. The cumulative incidence of physical multimorbidity (dichotomous) ranged over the study period from 2263 (18·44%; 95% CI 17·75-18·14) of 12 273 participants at age 34 BCS/33 NCDS, to 4496 (42·90%; 41·95-43·85) of 10 481 participants at age 46 BCS/50 NCDS, and was consistently higher in participants with depressive symptoms at baseline. The adjusted relative risk of physical multimorbidity was higher in participants with depressive symptoms than in those without and remained stable over the study period (adjusted relative rate ratio 1·67, 95% CI 1·50-1·87, at age 34 BCS/33 NCDS; 1·63, 1·48-1·79, at age 42 BCS/NCDS; and 1·58, 1·43-1·73, at age 46 BCS/50 NCDS). INTERPRETATION: The presence of depressive symptoms during early adulthood is associated with an increased risk of the development of physical multimorbidity in middle age. Although further research about the drivers of this relationship is needed, these results could help to enhance the integrated management of individuals with depressive symptoms and the development of preventive strategies to reduce the effect and burden of physical multimorbidity. FUNDING: UK Medical Research Council and Guy's Charity.

Improving suicide surveillance systems through the use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

Suicide is a major public health problem worldwide and continues to be one of the main causes of death. Implementing surveillance strategies for suicidal thoughts and behaviours would make it possible to identify individuals at high risk of ending their lives by suicide. While a universal screening would be controversial, the increasing use of the 9-item version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in different healthcare settings, such as primary care or hospital emergency departments, offers an opportunity for testing its performance for suicide surveillance. Beyond being a screening of depression, the PHQ-9 has shown merit as a marker of suicidal thinking, thoughts of self-harm, and suicide. Implementing systematic surveillance strategies for suicide in different healthcare settings including data from the PHQ-9 might be an effective way to improve case detection. This could help to enhance the identification of highest risk population groups and, consequently, to avoid potentially preventable suicides.

Prevalence and variability of current depressive disorder in 27 European countries: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of current depressive disorder in 27 European countries, and to explore differences in prevalence between European countries and by gender. METHODS: In this population-based study, we analysed data from respondents living in 27 European countries who were included in the second wave of the European Health Interview Survey, collected between 2013 and 2015. We assessed the prevalence of current depressive disorder using the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), with depressive disorder defined as a PHQ-8 score of 10 or higher. Prevalence estimates and 95% CIs were calculated for all 27 countries overall and for each country individually. We assessed variation in prevalence (country vs the rest of Europe) using crude and adjusted prevalence ratios obtained from negative binomial regression models. We did all analyses for the total sample and stratified by gender. FINDINGS: Our analysis sample comprised 258 888 individuals, of whom 117 310 (weighted proportion 47·8%) were men and 141 578 (52·2%) were women. The overall prevalence of current depressive disorder was 6·38% (95% CI 6·24-6·52) with important variation across countries, ranging from 2·58% (2·14-3·02) in the Czech Republic to 10·33% (9·33-11·32) in Iceland. Prevalence was higher in women (7·74% [7·53-7·95]) than in men (4·89% [4·71-5·08]), with clear gender differences for all countries except Finland and Croatia. Compared with the other European countries in our sample, those with the highest adjusted prevalence ratios were Germany (1·80 [1·71-1·89]) and Luxembourg (1·50 [1·35-1·66]), and those with the lowest adjusted prevalence ratios were Slovakia (0·28 [0·24-0·33]) and the Czech Republic (0·32 [0·27-0·38]). INTERPRETATION: Depressive disorders, although common across Europe, vary substantially in prevalence between countries. These results could be a baseline for monitoring the prevalence of current depressive disorder both at a country level in Europe and for planning health-care resources and services. FUNDING: UK Medical Research Council and CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP).