Impact of demographic factors on recognition of persons with depression and anxiety in primary care in Slovenia.
BACKGROUND
Research has repeatedly shown that family physicians fail to diagnose up to 70% of patients with common mental disorders. Objective of the study is to investigate associations between persons' gender, age and educational level and detection of depression and anxiety by their family physicians.


METHODS
We compared the results of two independent observational studies that were performed at the same time on a representative sample of family medicine practice attendees in Slovenia. 10710 patients participated in Slovenian Cross-sectional survey and 1118 patients participated in a first round of a cohort study (PREDICT-D study). Logistic regression was used to examine the effects of age, gender and educational level on detection of depression and anxiety.


RESULTS
The prevalence of major depression and Other Anxiety Syndrome (OAS) amongst family practice attendees was low. The prevalence of Panic Syndrome (PS) was comparable to rates reported in the literature. A statistical model with merged data from both studies showed that it was over 15 times more likely for patients with ICD-10 criteria depression to be detected in PREDICT-D study as in SCS survey. In PREDICT-D study it was more likely for people with higher education to be diagnosed with ICD-10 criteria depression than in SCS survey.


CONCLUSIONS
People with higher levels of education should probably be interviewed in a more standardized way to be recognised as having depression by Slovenian family physicians. This finding requires further validation.
Rifel
Janez
J
Department of family medicine, Medical faculty, University in Ljubljana, Slovenia. janez.rifel@mf.uni-lj.si
Svab
Igor
I
Ster
Marija Petek
MP
Pavlic
Danica Rotar
DR
King
Michael
M
Nazareth
Irwin
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D017524:Slovenia