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Conference paper

COMORBID CHRONIC DISEASES IN DEPRESSED AND NON-DEPRESSED PATIENTS IN FAMILY PRACTICE

Ines Diminić-Lisica ; Community Primary Health Centre County Primorsko-goranska, Rijeka, Department of Familiy medicine, Medical faculty, University of Rijeka, Croatia
Tanja Frančišković ; Department of psychiatry and psychological medicine, Medical faculty, University of Rijeka, Croatia
Sanja Janović ; Psychiatric Clinic, KBC Rijeka, Croatia
Branka Popović ; Community Primary Health Centre County Primorsko-goranska, Rijeka, Department of Familiy medicine, Medical faculty, University of Rijeka, Croatia
Miro Klarić ; Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Mostar, BiH
Iva Nemčić-Moro ; Clinic for Psychological Medicine, KBC Rebro, Zagreb, Croatia


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Abstract

Introduction: Depression is one of the five most frequent disorders in primary care practice and often remains unrecognized.
One of the reasons why depression often passes unnoticed is comorbidity – a number of different chronic diseases coexist with
depression, especially in elderly patients.
Aim: The aim of this research was to assess the difference between depressed and non-depressed patients regarding somatic and
mental comorbidity. The differences in drug use were also examined.
Subjects and Methods: Five hundred successive adult patients visiting family physicians in Rijeka, Croatia, were polled using the Beck Depression Inventory and a general questionnaire which was created for the purpose of the study. The existing medical records were also used.
Results: Elevated depression level was determined in 48.1% of the examinees. These patients were suffering from larger number
of chronic diseases (X=1.23) than non-depressed patients (X=0.70; t=5.07; p<0.001; z=4.93; p<0.001), especially cardiac, mental,
renal and osteomuscular diseases. Depressed persons used significantly more drugs (X=1.28) than non-depressed patients (X=0.58; t=6.10; p<0.001; z=5.78; p<0.001), especially antirheumatics, analgesics, sedatives, antidepressants, antiallergics and diuretics.
Conclusion: The research results point to a necessity of routine screening and early treatment of depression in patients with chronic diseases in primary care practice.

Keywords

comorbidity; chronic diseases; depression; family physician

Hrčak ID:

55690

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/55690

Publication date:

30.6.2010.

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