Quality of treatment and disability compensation in depression: comparison of 2 nationally representative samples with a 10-year interval in Finland.

Objective: Depressive disorders cause substantial work impairment that can lead to disability compensation. The authors compared treatment received for depression preceding disability pension between 2 nationally representative samples with a 10-year interval.

Method: The medical statements for 2 random samples drawn from the Finnish national disability pension registers, representing populations granted a disability pension for DSM-III-R major depression during a 12-month period from October 1993 through September 1994 (N = 277) and for ICD-10 depressive disorders (F32-F33) from October 2003 through September 2004 (N = 265) were examined.