Depression and outpatient medical utilization: A naturalistic 10-year follow-up

The current investigation described the relationship between depression and outpatient medical utilization in a sample of 424 treatment-seeking indivi duals diagnosed with a depressive disorder and a demographically matched co mmunity sample of 424 men and women. This relationship was assessed longitu dinally from baseline (intake for the patient sample) to 1-, 4-, and 10-yea r follow-ups. Patients and community individuals demonstrated distinct patt erns of depressive symptoms and outpatient medical utilization: patients de clined in symptoms and medical utilization following treatment, although th ey continued to have higher levels of depressive symptoms and outpatient ut ilization than controls at each follow-up period. Community controls demons trated no change from baseline in symptoms or utilization at any follow-up. Higher levels of depressive symptoms was associated with increased outpati ent medical utilization over the 10 years, evert when age, sex, marital sta tus, medical comorbidity and patient status were controlled. Results add fu rther evidence for a relationship between symptoms of depression and outpat ient utilization by documenting this relationship in a posttreatment sample . Furthermore, the findings underscore the need for long-term follow-ups in investigations of the association between treatment for depression and the outpatient medical utilization of depressed individuals.