CONTEXT: Current evidence suggests that depression is much more prevalent among those with chronic medical conditions compared to the general population. Depression will rank second to cardiovascular disease as a global cause of disability by 2020. With ageing of the population physicians are called upon to treat a higher percentage of patients with chronic medical illness. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and incidence of depression and likelihood for new-onset depression in patients with self-reported longstanding disease, disability or infirmity in the sample of primary care attendees. METHOD: Consecutive family medicine practice attendees aged 18 to 75 years were recruited and followed up after six months. Presence of longstanding disease, disability or infirmity was recorded. RESULTS: Prevalence of major depression was 8.9% in the group of patients reporting longstanding disease compared to 3.1% in the group without longstanding disease. Incidence of major depression after 6 months was 2.7% in the group with longstanding disease and 0.9% in the group without longstanding disease. For the patients with longstanding disease at the baseline it was almost 4 times more likely to have major depression after 6 months than for patients who did not report any longstanding disease at the baseline. CONCLUSION: The associations between longstanding disease and depression are important in primary care setting.
CONTEXT: Current evidence suggests that depression is much more prevalent among those with chronic medical conditions compared to the general population. Depression will rank second to cardiovascular disease as a global cause of disability by 2020. With ageing of the population physicians are called upon to treat a higher percentage of patients with chronic medical illness. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and incidence of depression and likelihood for new-onset depression in patients with self-reported longstanding disease, disability or infirmity in the sample of primary care attendees. METHOD: Consecutive family medicine practice attendees aged 18 to 75 years were recruited and followed up after six months. Presence of longstanding disease, disability or infirmity was recorded. RESULTS: Prevalence of major depression was 8.9% in the group of patients reporting longstanding disease compared to 3.1% in the group without longstanding disease. Incidence of major depression after 6 months was 2.7% in the group with longstanding disease and 0.9% in the group without longstanding disease. For the patients with longstanding disease at the baseline it was almost 4 times more likely to have major depression after 6 months than for patients who did not report any longstanding disease at the baseline. CONCLUSION: The associations between longstanding disease and depression are important in primary care setting.
Authors: Michael King; Irwin Nazareth; Gus Levy; Carl Walker; Richard Morris; Scott Weich; Juan Angel Bellón-Saameño; Berta Moreno; Igor Svab; Danica Rotar; J Rifel; Heidi-Ingrid Maaroos; Anu Aluoja; Ruth Kalda; Jan Neeleman; Mirjam I Geerlings; Miguel Xavier; Manuel Caldas de Almeida; Bernardo Correa; Francisco Torres-Gonzalez Journal: Br J Psychiatry Date: 2008-05 Impact factor: 9.319
Authors: Johan Ormel; Frühling V Rijsdijk; Mark Sullivan; Eric van Sonderen; Gertrudis I J M Kempen Journal: J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci Date: 2002-07 Impact factor: 4.077