PREVALENCE OF RECURRENT BRIEF DEPRESSION IN PRIMARY-CARE

Descriptions of mentally ill inpatients have strongly influenced curre nt classifications of mental disorders. Primary care patients may ther efore present a substantially different pathology. Some diagnoses, inf requent in psychiatric settings but common in the general population o r in primary care, have been described, such as the concept of recurre nt brief depression (RBD) proposed by Jules Angst. RBD refers to frequ ent but short-lasting (usually only a few days) severe depressive epis odes. In parallel with a study organized by the World Health Organizat ion aimed at defining the psychological disorders encountered in prima ry care, we investigated the prevalence of RBD, its severity, and como rbidity with major and well-defined disorders using a structured inter view (CIDI). The current prevalence of RBD in a general practice popul ation was found to be about 10%. The average duration of the episodes is 3-4 days. Ours results confirm the severity of this disorder; in pa rticular, a history of suicide attempts is frequent (23.3%). Among RBD patients, 26% do not present any other psychiatric disorder. When a c omorbidity is reported, depressive episodes (lasting at least two week s, acording to ICD-10) and generalized anxiety disorder are the main a ssociated disorders. Our results are in favor of the existence of RBD as a separate and original nosological entity.