title: Recognizing and managing depression in primary care.
abstract: Depression is a common disorder in the primary care setting; it is associated with considerable distress and dysfunction. The management of depressed primary care patients can be complicated by the fact that these patients may lack insight into the cause of their symptoms and report only the somatic manifestations of their disorder to their physicians. Primary care patients may also be reluctant to accept a diagnosis of depression or referral to a mental health specialist. Primary care physicians may feel they lack the time or the training to adequately address their patients' depressive disorders. This paper presents a model for identifying, evaluating, and treating depression which has been specifically developed to help primary care physicians overcome these barriers.
authors.affiliation: Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Darby, Pennsylvania 19023, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Brody
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Katon
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Magruder
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003376:Counseling; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents