Abstract
The public usage of the word depression does not correspond to the descriptions of depression proposed by classifications such as the DSM-III. Data from the pilot survey of Santé-Québec covering 3,291 persons distributed in two areas, one rural (D.S.C. of Rimouski) and other urban (D.S.C. of Verdun), allow to compare the use of the term depression between an informant reporting on a family member when this expression is included in a list of chronic illnesses, and an informant reporting on a self-administered questionnaire, symptoms similar to the diagnostics of depression and dysthymia of the DSM-III. Result show a low degree of correspondance between the term of depression as used by laypersons and as applied by medicine (14%); the small overlap mainly concerns the serious cases. Depression in its lay usage is refering less often to the psychic manifestations of the medical depression, i.e. lack of positive experiences, hopelessness, boredom, but it is often applied to persons who are not able any more to achieve social roles. The usage of the lay label varies according to sex and rural-urban origin. It applies more often to urban women under 40, even though these women are not showing the DSM-III signs of depression. On the other hand, rural men are almost never associated with this label even though a certain proportion meet the DSM-III criteria for depression. The discussion offers explanations for the different use of the label in urban and rural areas.