IS DEPRESSION UNDER-RECOGNIZED AND UNDERTREATED

Most patients with a psychiatric disorder consult their general practi tioner (GP) within one year. The majority of these patients are depres sed or belong to the depressive spectrum. As other epidemiological stu dies, the World Health Organization (WHO) study conducted on 25916 pri mary care patients found a high prevalence of depressive episodes acco rding to ICD10 (10.4 %) and of dysthymics (2.1%). Among those, only 54 % were recognised as having psychological problems by their GP. A spec ific diagnosis of depression was done in only 15%. When patients were identified as cases, 24% were prescribed antidepressants while, when t hey were identified as depressed, antidepressant prescription was 43%. Factors influencing recognition were: reason for contact, sex, severi ty, disability, age, the existence of a physical disease. Interestingl y, reasons for prescription (independently from recognition) were very similar, mt Clin Psychopharmacol 13 (suppl 5):S3-S6 (C) 1998 Lippinco tt Williams & Wilkins