Because of the nature of the analysis used in this study [1], no conclusion is possible. There are plenty of examples in the literature demonstrating the “ecological fallacy”. Studies such as this have very little utility other than to generate hypotheses. I tend to think that this association is a marker for greater recognition and treatment for depression. However, it’s a brave epidemiologist who would draw any conclusions at all from an ecological association such as this where the outcome is relatively rare.
Footnotes
Richard Hockey (rhockey@optusnet.com.au), Mater Hospital Brisbane, Australia
Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this article.
Competing Interests: The author has declared that no competing interests exist.
Reference
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