title: Hidden depression in otolaryngology patients with medically unexplained symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of depression among otolaryngology patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and the outcome of treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety patients with MUS from a population of 983 consecutive otolaryngology outpatients were enrolled. The Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) was used to screen for depression. In addition to standard treatment, all depressed and nondepressed patients received SSRIs for 8 weeks. The Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale was used to evaluate clinical changes in patients with MUS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 49 patients with depression among those with MUS, according to the SDS criteria. The patients with depression showed a better outcome than those without depression, demonstrating more significantly improved CGI-I scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than half of the individuals with otolaryngological MUS had depression, and their MUS were successfully treated with SSRIs.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Hino Municipal Hospital, Tokyo 191-0062, Japan. amifumi@bc5.so-net.ne.jp
authors: Fumiyuki
authors: F
authors: Goto
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Tsutsumi
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Oishi
authors: Masaru
authors: M
authors: Mimura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010036:Otolaryngology; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013001:Somatoform Disorders
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors