Depression in a primary care clinic: the prevalence and impact of an unrecognized disorder

Background: This study assesses depression among primary care patients, the relationship between depression and functioning, and how frequently depres sed individuals receive mental health treatment. Methods: Two hundred and t hirteen participants completed a diagnostic interview and measures of funct ional impairment and service utilization. Results: Sixty-two clinic patient s were depressed, and depressed individuals experienced significant functio nal impairment even after controlling for comorbid anxiety disorders and me dical problems. However, less than 40% of depressed individuals were receiv ing treatment for depression. Severity of impairment was related to likelih ood of receiving mental health services. Limitations: Several factors to co nsider when evaluating this study are the cross-sectional design, use of se lf-report data, and lack of random sampling. Conclusions: These results sho w that depression has a unique and significant impact on the functioning of primary care patients, and emphasize the need for identification of depres sive disorders in primary care. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.