Recognition and treatment of depression in primary care settings in 6 different countries: A retrospective file analysis by WHO

The rates of depression in patients with and without sufficient number of s ymptoms to diagnose depression were assessed in a multicultural study of pr imary health care records. The flies of 1199 patients in 6 countries were e xamined in order to obtain information gathered in the prior three months t o the file inspection. A category of "diagnosable depression" was assigned when the sufficient number of symptoms according to ICD-10 criteria to diag nose depression were found in the file bur the diagnosis of depression was nor made. The low recognition rare by the primary care physicians replicated in this study appears to be a result of the lack of conceptualisation of depression by the physician and is not due to different clinical presentation. The di agnosable depression groups used health are resources to a higher degree wh en compared to the groups with no evidence for depression.