title: Association between somatic diseases and symptoms of depression and anxiety among Belgrade University students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between somatic health problems and comorbid condition of anxiety and depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cross-sectional study in a population of 2,000 students of the Belgrade University (four schools: Medicine, Geography, Economics, Electrical Engineering) during the period April - June 2010 was conducted. The students were randomly selected. The main instrument for data collection was a standardized epidemiological questionnaire, designed at the Institute of Epidemiology, School of Medicine in Belgrade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), correlation was found between the following somatic diseases and depression: diabetes (p=0.003), hypertension (p=0.007), heart disease (p=0.001), chronic bronchitis (p=0.033), neurological diseases (p=0.013), and gastric or duodenal ulcer (p=0.003). According to the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) a correlation was found between the following somatic diseases and anxiety: diabetes (p=0.020), hypertension (p less than 0.001), heart disease (p=0.000), chronic bronchitis (p=0.037), bronchial asthma (p=0.049), gastric or duodenal ulcer (p=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression and anxiety are common in persons with somatic diseases and have a significant association with physical health. This has considerable implications for somatic diseases management and clinical guidelines.
authors.affiliation: 1Clinic for Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Priština/Kosovska Mitrovica, 2Institute of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 3Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, 4Institute of Medical Statistics and Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade; Serbia.
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stojanović-Tasić
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grgurević
authors.forename: Jovana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cvetković
authors.forename: Uglješa
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Grgurević
authors.forename: Goran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trajković
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D055771:Serbia; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult