Table 3 Associations between severity of depression and anxiety with use of health services and medications (no self-reported physical health problems)
PHQ-9 Severity score | Number of visits to doctor in past 12 months (missing = 5) | Number of hospital visits in past 12 months | Number of medications used | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median (IQR) | Median (IQR)a | Age, sex and city adjusted rate ratioa | Fully adjusted rate ratioa,b | Median (IQR) | Median (IQR)a | Age, sex and city adjusted rate ratioa | Fully adjusted rate ratioa,b | Median (IQR) | Median (IQR)a | Age, sex and city adjusted rate ratioa | Fully adjusted rate ratioa,b | |
No symptom (< 5) | 2 (0–4) | 1 (0–3) | 1.00 (ref) | 1.00 (ref) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | 1.00 (ref) | 1.00 (ref) | 1 (0–2) | 0 (0–1) | 1.00 (ref) | 1.00 (ref) |
Mild depression (5–9) | 3 (1–7) | 2 (0–3) | 1.34 (1.14, 1.56) | 1.31 (1.12, 1.53) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | 1.42 (0.95, 2.11) | 1.47 (0.98, 2.21) | 1 (0–3) | 0 (0–1) | 1.16 (0.95, 1.43) | 1.18 (0.96, 1.46) |
Moderate depression (10–14) | 4 (1–8) | 1 (0–5) | 1.41 (0.98, 2.03) | 1.43 (0.99, 2.07) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–0) | 1.83 (0.80, 4.18) | 1.96 (0.85, 4.54) | 2 (0–3.3) | 1 (0–2) | 1.38 (0.86, 2.21) | 1.42 (0.88, 2.30) |
Major depression (≥ 15) | 5 (1–10) | 4.5 (1.25–6.75) | 2.91 (1.66, 5.12) | 2.70 (1.55, 4.71) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 5.37 (1.86, 15.53) | 5.30 (1.82, 15.42) | 2 (1–3) | 1 (0–2) | 2.49 (0.96, 6.42) | 2.16 (0.82, 5.70) |
Test for trend |  |  | p < 0.001 | P < 0.001 |  |  | P = 0.001 | P = 0.001 |  |  | P = 0.02 | p = 0.02 |
GAD-7 Anxiety severity score | ||||||||||||
 No symptoms (< 5) | 2 (0–5) | 1 (0–3) | 1.00 (ref) | 1.00 (ref) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | 1.00 (ref) | 1.00 (ref) | 1 (0–2) | 0 (0–1) | 1.00 (ref) | 1.00 (ref) |
 Mild anxiety (5–9) | 3 (1–7) | 2 (0–4) | 1.38 (1.15, 1.65) | 1.32 (1.10, 1.59) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | 1.52 (0.97, 2.39) | 1.47 (0.93, 2.33) | 1 (0–3) | 0 (0–1) | 1.17 (0.93, 1.49) | 1.15 (0.90. 1.46) |
 Moderate anxiety (10–14) | 3 (0–8) | 2 (0–5.25) | 1.84 (1.20, 2.81) | 1.79 (1.17, 2.73) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–0) | 2.85 (1.17, 6.92) | 2.81 (1.15, 6.84) | 1 (0–3) | 1 (0–2.5) | 1.87 (1.09, 3.19) | 1.74 (1.01, 2.98) |
 Severe anxiety (≥ 15) | 4 (1–8) | 2.5 (0–5.75) | 1.50 (0.70, 3.20) | 1.53 (0.72, 3.27) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–0) | 3.18 (0.69, 14.70) | 2.54 (0.55, 11.76) | 2 (0–4) | 0 (0–3.5) | 2.59 (0.75, 8.96) | 3.13 (0.93, 10.57) |
 Test for trend |  |  | p < 0.001 | P < 0.001 |  |  | P = 0.002 | p = 0.005 |  |  | P = 0.005 | P = 0.009 |