[Practicability and clinical relevance of routine psychological screening of patients in general internal medicine units].
In medical patients, anxiety and depression are frequent but often undiagnosed problems. The aim of the present study was to test and evaluate a psychological screening in medical in-patients. Using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), we screened 454 out of 743 consecutive medical in-patients. Physical symptoms and diagnoses were also recorded. Elevated scores for anxiety and depression were found in 20.8% and 23.9%, respectively. They were relatively independent of physical findings but correlated with subjective symptoms. In a subgroup who completed the questionnaire twice, HADS scores remained constant until discharge. Cardiological patients with abnormal baseline anxiety stayed significantly longer in hospital than those who were not anxious. Over a one-year follow-up, initially depressed patients had a risk of in-hospital death that was 2.5 times higher. This effect remained stable after controlling for baseline diagnoses and indices of severity of the disease.
Herrmann
C
C
Klinik für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie, Universität Göttingen.
Kaminsky
B
B
Rüger
U
U
Kreuzer
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology