Policy Brief | Community-Level Risk Factors for Depression Hospitalizations

Overview – Among adults 18-64, depression and bipolar disorders account for almost as many inpatient hospital admissions as heart attacks.
They also rank among the top 10 percent in terms of inpatient treatment costs. While previous studies have identified individual risk factors for developing depression, this study is the first to identify community-level risk factors for depression hospitalizations in urban and rural counties. It also identifies rural and urban areas with elevated hospitalization rates, which should be of interest to government officials, health plans and self-insured employers/payers seeking to control costs by preventing unnecessary hospitalizations.

About the Study – The study used data from the year 2000 in 14 states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Analysis was carried out at the county level. Sources for the data were the Statewide Inpatient Database, Census Bureau, Department of Agriculture, and Health Resources and Services Administration