title: [Mental Health in the General Hospital: Results of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in Four Hospital Services].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few individuals have access to mental health services due in part to underdetection. As it is more likely to consult for medical conditions, primary care may be a useful gateway for early detection of mental health problems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Detection of the frequency of mental health problems in four hospital services at the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá: Outpatient unit, hospitalization, emergency department, and primary care through a brief detection questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study of patients seen at the four services who answered a Demographic Data Questionnaire and the PHQ together with information gathered about current medical diagnosis, history of visits, and hospitalizations during the last year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1094 patients seen at the four hospital services between September 2010 and May 2011 were selected at random. A mental health problem was detected in 36.7% of the total sample. Major depressive disorder (7.3%), alcohol abuse (14.4%), and any anxiety disorder (7.7%) showed the highest prevalence with the emergency department showing the highest frequency of detection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The usefulness of a brief detection questionnaire such as the PHQ in hospital settings is demonstrated and implications in the design of mental health programs in the general hospital are discussed. The need to replicate this study in other settings and to undertake further research is outlined.
authors.affiliation: Psicólogo clínico, Departamento de Salud Mental, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá. Profesor asociado de Psicología y coordinador de Entrenamiento Clínico. Magíster en Psicología Clínica y de la Salud, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. Diplomado American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), Filadelfia, Estados Unidos. Electronic address: lecastro@uniandes.edu.co.
authors.forename: Leonidas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castro-Camacho
authors.affiliation: Médico psiquiatra, psicoanalista. Jefe del Departamento de Salud Mental, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá. Profesor clínico asociado de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.affiliation: Psicólogo clínico y de la salud. Magíster en Psicología Clínica y de la Salud, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Camilo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sáenz-Moncaleano
authors.affiliation: Psicóloga clínica y de la salud. Magíster en Psicología Clínica y de la Salud, Departamento de Psicología, Universidad de los Andes, y Departamento de Salud Mental, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá. Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delgado-Barrera
authors.affiliation: Médica psiquiatra, psicoanalista, Departamento de Salud Mental, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá. Profesora clínica asociada de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Soraya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aparicio-Turbay
authors.affiliation: Médico psiquiatra, Departamento de Salud Mental, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá. Profesor clínico asistente de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Molano
authors.affiliation: Médico psiquiatra, psicoanalista, Departamento de Salud Mental, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá. Profesor clínico asistente de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Efraín
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noguera
keywords: Atención primaria; Primary care; detección; detection; mental health; salud mental