Depressive illness and disability.
Depression is a prevalent disorder that imposes a severe burden of functional disability. With the exception of advanced coronary artery disease, depression is more disabling than the many other chronic medical illnesses often encountered in primary care. Depressed patients also suffer reduced workplace productivity, take more days off work due to illness and are very high users of healthcare resources. Where depression is comorbid with anxiety, the burden of disability and cost increases considerably. Treatment of depressed patients results in a lower level of disability and increased workplace productivity. Moreover, reduced usage of healthcare resources can offset the costs of the treatment. Depression is frequently under-recognized or misdiagnosed in the primary care setting, and many patients do not receive appropriate treatment that could help relieve their disability. Improving the recognition and treatment of depression is essential to reduce the burden of disability, on depressed patients and on society as a whole.
Lecrubier
Y
Y
Hôpital La Salpêtrière, 47 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75651 Paris, Cedex 13, France.
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004526:Efficiency; D006801:Humans
D000928:Antidepressive Agents