Extent of depressive symptomatology among patients seeking care in a prepaid group practice.
A total of 1921 consecutive adult patients seen in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Obstetrics-Gynaecology at a prepaid group practice completed a self-administered depressive symptomatology questionnaire, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). New health practitioners and physicians, who were not mental health specialists, blindly judged the presence or absence of depressive symptomatology. Twenty-one per cent of the patients suffered from depressive symptoms according to the CES-D, but only 15% of these were judged to be depressed by their physician or new health practitioner. The variables which predict the recognition of depressive symptomatology are discussed.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006123:Group Practice; D006125:Group Practice, Prepaid; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013240:Stereotyping; D014481:United States