Author/Editor		Rifel, Janez; Švab, Igor; Rotar-Pavlič, Danica; King, Michael; Nazareth, Irwin
Title		Longstanding disease, disability or infirmity and depression in primary care
Type		članek
Source		Wien Klin Wochenschr
Vol. and No.		Letnik 122, št. 19-20
Publication year		2010
Volume		str. 567-71
Language		eng
Abstract		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.
Descriptors		PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CHRONIC DISEASE DISABILITY EVALUATION COMORBIDITY DEPRESSIVE DISORDER INCIDENCE PREVALENCE