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This cross\u2010sectional study uses data from the third wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS; 2018\u20132020) to examine the prevalence and determinants of SM among people with recognized depression and depressive symptoms. A total of 25,701 respondents were analyzed. Prevalence of SM among individuals with recognized depression and symptoms of depression in the EU is 38.46% in men and 46.84% in women, varying considerably between countries. An important finding of this study is the impact of medication availability, with access to over\u2010the\u2010counter (OTC) medications outside of pharmacies nearly doubling SM likelihood (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]\u2009=\u20091.98). Additionally, the results reveal marked differences in how these men and women self\u2010medicate. Specifically, women are more likely to self\u2010medicate with depressive symptoms versus recognized depression (AOR\u2009=\u20091.28), whereas the opposite is observed in men (AOR\u2009=\u20090.69). Among women, younger age groups with depression symptoms are particularly likely to self\u2010medicate (15\u201324 AOR\u2009=\u20091.60; 25\u201344 AOR\u2009=\u20091.93) and the results reinforce education as a strong predictor of SM (higher education vs. no education AOR\u2009=\u20095.63). Visits to medical\/surgical specialists are also linked to SM in women (AOR\u2009=\u20091.32). This study also highlights potentially concerning relationships between SM and alcohol use in men with recognized depression (AOR\u2009=\u20091.42) and prescribed medicine (AOR\u2009=\u20091.68). Differences are also observable in the effect of employment on SM (AOR\u2009=\u20091.45) in men with depression symptoms and women with recognized depression. In contrast, physical activity (PA; high vs. low AOR\u2009=\u20091.32) and healthcare barriers (distance\/transportation issues AOR\u2009=\u20091.89 in women; AOR\u2009=\u20091.55 in men, inability to afford care AOR\u2009=\u20091.38) display similar positive associations in men and women. Taken together, these findings underscore the complex and multifaceted nature of SM and point to potential gaps in depression care across the EU, emphasizing the need for gender\u2010sensitive public health strategies and a closer look at OTC medication access.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1155\/da\/4661541","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,16]],"date-time":"2025-08-16T07:07:03Z","timestamp":1755328023000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Self\u2010Medication in Individuals With Depression and Symptoms of Depression in the European Union: Prevalence and Associated Factors"],"prefix":"10.1155","volume":"2025","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-6095-6563","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Spencer","family":"Yeamans","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3000-6748","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pilar","family":"Carrasco-Garrido","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5790-1959","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valent\u00edn","family":"Hern\u00e1ndez-Barrera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1295-7101","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u00c1ngel","family":"Gil-De-Miguel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_14_1_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(21)00395-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2468-2667(23)00220-7"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_3_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjment-2023-300675"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3109\/10673229709030550"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/AJP.0000000000000603"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10865-023-00452-4"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.addbeh.2012.02.008"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/20420986221127501"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-023-10471-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2024.1413811"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rcsop.2023.100266"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_12_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare9020123"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sapharm.2022.06.004"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/ijpp.12433"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10654-024-01153-1"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_16_2","unstructured":"Eurostat (European Commission) European Health Interview Survey (EHIS Wave 3): Methodological Manual: 2020 Edition 2020 Publications Office of the European Union [Cited October 15 2024]https:\/\/data.europa.eu\/doi\/10.2785\/135920."},{"key":"e_1_2_14_17_2","unstructured":"European Health Interview Survey-Microdata-Eurostat [Internet] [Cited March 21 2023]https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/eurostat\/web\/microdata\/european-health-interview-survey."},{"key":"e_1_2_14_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lanepe.2023.100659"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_19_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2008.06.026"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_20_2","volume-title":"Social Support in the General Population: Standardization of the Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3)","author":"Kocalevent R.-D.","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_21_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-022-13479-0"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_22_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/9781118548387"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_23_2","volume-title":"Stata Statistical Software: Release 18","author":"StataCorp","year":"2023"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_24_2","unstructured":"R Core Team R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing 2022 R Foundation for Statistical Computing Vienna Austria https:\/\/www.R-project.org\/."},{"key":"e_1_2_14_25_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-24277-4"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_26_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-024-05802-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_27_2","first-page":"245","volume-title":"International Review of Neurobiology","author":"Calarco C. 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