§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people have been diagnosed as suffering from depression in each (i) health and (ii) unitary authority area in Wales in each of the past 10 years. [81339]
Mr. Jon Owen JonesIn the Welsh Health Survey, a postal survey carried out in 1995, people were asked "Do you have depression now that you have had for 3 months or more?". The following table shows, by health authority and unitary authority, the percentage of the respondents (aged 18 and over) who answered yes. Because of possible response bias in surveys of this nature, the figures given may overstate the actual prevalence of the condition in the population.
Information for other years is not available centrally.
88W
Percentage of adult population (aged 18 and over) reporting depression, 1995 Area of residence North Wales health authority 6.1 Isle of Anglesey 5.1 Gwynedd 6.1 Conwy 6.1 Denbighshire 5.2 Flintshire 6.1 Wrexham 6.9 Dyfed Powys health authority 7.6 Powys 6.9 Ceredigion 7.7 Pembrokeshire 7.5 Carmarthenshire 7.9 Morgannwg health authority 7.3 Swansea 6.9 Neath Port Talbot 8.8 Bridgend 6.7 Bro Taf health authority 8.7 Vale of Glamorgan 7.4 Cardiff 7.3 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 10.7 Merthyr Tydfil 10.5
Percentage of adult population (aged 18 and over) reporting depression, 1995 Area of residence Gwent health authority 7.2 Caerphilly 8.4 Blaenau Gwent 10.4 Torfaen 7.2 Monmouthshire 4.0 Newport 6.5 Wales 7.4 Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.