title: Identification of depression by medical and surgical general hospital physicians.
abstract: Little information is available about identification of mental distress by general hospital physicians (GHPs). We compared, among patients admitted in a General Hospital, depressed patients with patients identified as depressed by the GHPs. A random sample of 1,039 patients were screened with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Afterwards, all high scorers and a probability sample of low scorers were interviewed with a variety of measures, including the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Primary Care version (CIDI-PHC). GHPs recorded the presence of depression on a Physician Encounter Form. Patients were more likely to have depression detected on medical than surgical wards. Of the 195 patients who had a depression, the GHPs assessed 32.5% as depressed. A number of factors associated with CIDI diagnoses were not significantly associated with being identified by the GHPs - female gender, two or more life events in the previous year, and a previous history of depression. The identification by the GHPs was associated with a higher probability of contacts with medical professionals and of antidepressant drug prescriptions during the year which followed the first interview.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia e Medicina S.C., Cattedra di Psichiatria, Università di Udine, Udine, Italy. m.balestrieri@med.uniud.it
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bisoffi
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tansella
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martucci
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D013502:General Surgery / Q000592:standards*; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000145:classification*; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000592:standards*; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires