[The importance of anxiety and depression in family practice].

Representative studies indicate that prevalence of anxiety disorders among adults is between 12.6-17.2%, while in Hungary it is 17.7%. According to both international and national studies the point prevalence of diagnosed major depression requiring treatment is 6-10 % in general practice. As untreated depression is the most important risk factor for suicide, early detection and effective management of depression are critical in prevention. According to international and national studies the recognition of major depression in primary care significantly contributes to the decline of suicide mortality. In our article we review screening of anxiety and depressive disorders and treatment and management of these patients in primary care. We present two short questionnaires used for recognizing depression and acute suicide risk and describe their use in family/ general practice.