OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship of specific patient chief physical complaints to underlying depressive symptoms in primary care practice. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study that was part of a larger prevalence study of depression in primary care. SETTING: A general medical primary care practice in a teaching medical center in rural New England. PATIENTS: 1,042 consecutive outpatients screened for depression with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 49-item depression scale and for whom physicians filled out a form recording both specific chief complaints and two aspects of complaint presentation style, clarity and amplification. INTERVENTIONS: None. RESULTS: Complaints that discriminated between depressed and non-depressed patients (at the p = 0.05 level) were sleep disturbance (PPV 61%), fatigue (PPV 60%), multiple (3+) complaints (PPV 56%), nonspecific musculoskeletal complaints (PPV 43%), back pain (PPV 39%), shortness of breath (PPV 39%), amplified complaints (PPV 39%), and vaguely stated complaints (PPV 37%). CONCLUSIONS: Depressed patients are common in primary care practice and important to recognize. Certain specific complaints and complaint presentation styles are associated with underlying depressive symptoms.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship of specific patient chief physical complaints to underlying depressive symptoms in primary care practice. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study that was part of a larger prevalence study of depression in primary care. SETTING: A general medical primary care practice in a teaching medical center in rural New England. PATIENTS: 1,042 consecutive outpatients screened for depression with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 49-item depression scale and for whom physicians filled out a form recording both specific chief complaints and two aspects of complaint presentation style, clarity and amplification. INTERVENTIONS: None. RESULTS: Complaints that discriminated between depressed and non-depressedpatients (at the p = 0.05 level) were sleep disturbance (PPV 61%), fatigue (PPV 60%), multiple (3+) complaints (PPV 56%), nonspecific musculoskeletal complaints (PPV 43%), back pain (PPV 39%), shortness of breath (PPV 39%), amplified complaints (PPV 39%), and vaguely stated complaints (PPV 37%). CONCLUSIONS: Depressed patients are common in primary care practice and important to recognize. Certain specific complaints and complaint presentation styles are associated with underlying depressive symptoms.
Authors: P S German; S Shapiro; E A Skinner; M Von Korff; L E Klein; R W Turner; M L Teitelbaum; J Burke; B J Burns Journal: JAMA Date: 1987 Jan 23-30 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Amy M Kilbourne; Amy C Justice; Bruce L Rollman; Kathleen A McGinnis; Linda Rabeneck; Sharon Weissman; Susan Smola; Richard Schultz; Jeff Whittle; Maria Rodriguez-Barradas Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2002-07 Impact factor: 5.128
Authors: Craig H. Mallinckrodt; David J. Goldstein; Michael J. Detke; Yili Lu; John G. Watkin; Pierre V. Tran Journal: Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry Date: 2003-02