[Clinical and psychometric diagnosis of depression in patients in general medicine].
BACKGROUND
The Hamilton scale, applied by an external evaluator and the self rating Beck inventory for depression, can give discrepant results in psychiatric patients with depression.


OBJECTIVE
To compare depression scores obtained with the Hamilton scale and the Beck inventory in general medical patients.


METHODS
Patients attending an outpatient clinic of a University Hospital were studied. Clinical psychiatric diagnoses were based on DSM-III. Hamilton scale was applied to 100 patients and 80 answered the Beck depression inventory.


RESULTS
Patients with major depression obtained the higher scores with both scales. However, Beck inventory had false positive and false negative results. Moreover, some patients overstated their depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Self assessment of depression can be distorted by anxiety and somatic symptoms.
Ruiz
A
A
Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Facultad de Medicina, División Norte, Universidad de Chile. aruiz@machi.med.uchile.cl
Silva
H
H
Miranda
E
E
D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
Diagnóstico clínico y psicométrico de la depresión en pacientes de medicina general.