Prevalence and presentation of depressive illness in a primary health care setting in Kenya.
Using a two-stage screening procedure, ICD-9 diagnostic criteria, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the authors diagnosed depressive disorders in 81 (9.2%) of 881 patients in a primary care setting in Kenya. All depressed patients had somatic symptoms, and all of the 27 depressed patients assessed with the Hamilton scale scored higher than 2 on the work and activities item. These findings contradict the earlier reports that Africans do not admit to being depressed. Nearly one-third of the depressed patients were moderately or severely ill and would have benefited from psychiatric assessment and treatment.
Dhadphale
M
M
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Cooper
G
G
Cartwright-Taylor
L
L
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales