Table 1.

Baseline Characteristics of Patients With Major Depression, Dysthymia, or Both, Stratified by Risk Level of Suicidal Ideation

Risk Level*
CharacteristicTotal (N = 405)None (n = 259)Low (n = 105)Intermediate (n = 41)P Value
HSCL-20 = 20 depression items from the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-90; MDD = major depressive disorder; GAD = generalized anxiety disorder; CAGE = Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilt, Eye-opener; SF-36 = Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey; WHODAS = World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II.
* None comprised 64% of total; low, 26% of total; and intermediate, 10% of total.
† Race or ethnicity other than non-Hispanic white.
‡ Poverty status was defined according to guidelines of the US Department of Health and Human Services, based on total annual household income (see The 2001 HHS Poverty Guidelines at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/01poverty.htm).
§ HSCL-20 score range was 0 to 4; CAGE score range was 0 to 4; WHODAS scores were standardized to range from 0 (no impairment in last 30 days) to 1.0 (complete inability to perform throughout full 30 days).
Social and demographic
Female, %80.2582.6378.1070.73.168
Age, mean (SD), y41.94 (14.62)42.50 (14.25)43.57 (16.07)34.17 (10.35).001
Education, mean (SD), y13.24 (2.32)13.32 (2.34)13.15 (2.10)12.98 (2.72).610
Ethnic minority, %16.8718.6814.2912.20.420
Married, %55.3154.8354.2960.98.740
Living with others , %87.6586.1086.67100.00.040
Income level above poverty, %78.7681.4577.7864.10.464
Paid employment, %61.4865.2560.9539.02.006
Clinical §
HSCL-20 depression severity score, mean (SD)2.01 (0.65)1.86 (0.61)2.23 (0.63)2.39 (0.60).001
Depressive disorder
    MDD only, %78.5277.2282.8675.61
    MDD and dysthymia, %19.2619.3117.1424.39.183
    Dysthymia only, %2.223.470.000.00
    Symptoms of panic, %20.5420.0819.2326.83.566
    Symptoms of GAD, %40.9442.0236.1946.34.449
    CAGE score, mean (SD)0.11 (0.39)0.12 (0.41)0.06 (0.27)0.17 (0.54).236
    SF-36 pain score, mean (SD)1.43 (1.37)1.26 (1.33)1.68 (1.33)1.85 (1.57).003
WHODAS disability scores, mean (SD)
    Understand and communicate0.32 (0.19)0.30 (0.18)0.35 (0.20)0.40 (0.21).001
    Getting around0.24 (0.24)0.20 (0.21)0.30 (0.26)0.31 (0.26).001
    Self-care0.16 (0.17)0.14 (0.16)0.18 (0.18)0.26 (0.19).001
    Getting along with people0.30 (0.23)0.26 (0.21)0.36 (0.24)0.38 (0.24).001
    Life activities0.41 (0.24)0.37 (0.23)0.47 (0.25)0.47 (0.25)<.001
    Societal participation0.41 (0.18)0.37 (0.17)0.46 (0.19)0.52 (0.18).001