Background: Major depression is a mental disorder that is associated with high morbidity and significant mortality. It is common among primary care attenders. Few is known about major depression prevalence and associated factors, which would prevent general practitioners from diagnosing it in primary care centres and treating it adequately.
Aim: To determine prevalence and correlates of major depressive episodes (MDE) in a representative sample of primary care attenders in the area of Sousse (Tunisia).
Methods: A random and representative sample of primary care attenders was obtained by a two-stage sampling procedure. First, 30 primary care centres (20 urban and 10 rural) were selected, with stratification according to residency location. Second, 1246 consenting participants were systematically recruited among those centres attenders. Participants were screened, by trained interviewers, with Tunisian version of « Composite International Diagnostic Interview » CIDI.2.1. After data entry in ishell program, MDE diagnosis was obtained according to ICD-10 criteria.
Results: Mean age in our sample was 43.4 ± 17.62 years, with feminine (70.9 %) and urban (67.8 %) predominance. MDE was found in 26.4 % of participants. Associated factors were female gender, marital statute of widowed or divorced and rural residency.
Conclusion: This study provided data about high prevalence of MDE in the area of Sousse primary care centres and its correlated factors.