Lifetime Prevalence of Recurrent and Persistent Depression: A Scoping Review of Epidemiological Studies

Differing conceptualizations of recurrent and persistent depression in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) lead to diagnostic inconsistencies. This scoping review analyzed epidemiological studies on the lifetime prevalence of recurrent and persistent depression in the general population.

Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched MEDLINE and the Russian Science Citation Index without time or language restrictions. Inclusion criteria were original epidemiological studies of the general population reporting lifetime prevalence of recurrent or persistent depression, using DSM-III/IV/5 or ICD-9/10/11 criteria.

Only three studies on recurrent depression were identified – from Switzerland, the USA, and Hungary – showing a consistent lifetime prevalence of 10.3% to 10.5%. In contrast, major depressive disorder had a lifetime prevalence of 1.5 to 2.5 times higher in these studies. Dysthymia and persistent depression showed lifetime prevalences ranging from 1.1% to 6.4% and 1.6% to 18%, respectively. Women represented about two-thirds of cases of both recurrent and persistent depression.

The underrepresentation of recurrent depression may stem from the DSM's dominant influence in psychiatric diagnostics. Our findings highlight the need for refined diagnostic criteria and more comprehensive epidemiological studies that separately identify recurrent and persistent depression.