“Diet Pills” and Major Depression in the Canadian Population

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate epidemiological associations between self-reported diet pill consumption and major depressive episodes (MDEs), using data from a large-scale, cross-sectional survey of the Canadian population. Methods: Data from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS) were used in this analysis. The NPHS interview included a brief version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) depression section, known as the CIDI Short Form for Major Depression (CIDI-SFMD), as well as provision for self-reported medication use. Results: Approximately 0.5% of the population reported the use of diet pills. Diet pill use was more common among women than among men. At the time of data collection (1996–1997), the most commonly used medication was fenfluramine (since withdrawn from the market because of cardiovascular toxicity). The use of these medications was strongly associated with MDE: the annual prevalence among persons reporting use was 17.1% (95%CI, 8.6 to 25.6), approximately 4 times the underlying population rate. Conclusions: Because the NPHS was a general health survey, and because self-reported exposure to these medications was relatively uncommon, the data did not permit a detailed multivariate analysis. These findings, however, indicate that depressive psychopathology is strongly associated with the use of appetite-suppressant medications.