Patients with psychiatric disorders in gynecologic practice--a three year follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with depressive disorders are commonly encountered in gynecologic practice. The prevalence rates for depressive disorders have been reported to vary between 10 and 40% among patients consulting their gynecologist. The purpose of the current study was to study health care utilization by patients with a psychiatric disorder in the gynecologic setting during a three-year period after the initial diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety.


METHODS
In 1998 all scheduled and walk-in patients, at two gynecologic centers in northern Sweden during one month, were screened for prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders using the PRIME-MD system. Medical records for the period 16 December 1998 to 31 December 2001 have been reviewed.


RESULTS
Patients diagnosed with any anxiety disorder made significantly more appointments to the gynecologist and were acutely hospitalized more often than control subjects. Both patients with any depressive or any anxiety diagnosis made significantly more visits to health care personnel other than the gynecologist and they received counseling by phone and/or letter significantly more often than patients in the control group. Furthermore, patients with depressive and/or anxiety diagnosis were also referred to other medical specialists more often than controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study has indicated that gynecologic patients with depression and anxiety over a three-year follow-up period have an increased health care utilization with more frequent consultations and more frequent referrals.
Malmenström
Malin
M
Pfizer Pharmaceutical Inc, Täby, Sweden.
Bixo
Marie
M
Björn
Inger
I
Aström
Monica
M
Poromaa
Inger Sundström
IS
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires