Key symptoms in the detection of affective disorders in medical patients.
Psychiatric disorder in medical patients often goes undetected. In this study we have attempted to identify a minimum set of key symptoms from an extensive research interview [Present State Examination (PSE)] that might assist in the identification of psychiatric disorders among general medical patients. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to identify PSE-items that contributed most to the PSE-CATEGO classification of psychiatric disorders in 192 Dutch medical out-patients. A risk score based on two core symptoms (panic and depressed mood) and five supplementary symptoms classified patients with a sensitivity of 0.94 and a specificity of 0.91. In a separate U.K. sample of medical in-patients, consisting of 37 PSE cases and age and sex matched controls, the risk score yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 0.89 and 0.97 respectively. The results suggest that a few questions concerning psychiatric symptoms may facilitate the identification of the majority of patients with anxiety and depressive disorders in medical populations.
van Hemert
A M
AM
Out-patient Clinic of Psychiatry, Leiden University Hospital, The Netherlands.
Hawton
K
K
Bolk
J H
JH
Fagg
J
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology