Medica Jadertina, Vol. 37 No. 1-2, 2007.
Original scientific paper
Depression and comorbidity in family medicine registrars' surgeries - pilot research
Stanislava Stojanović-Špehar
Ariana Skočilić
Sanja Blažeković-Milaković
Hrvoje Vuković
Suzana Kumbrija
Abstract
Background. 50% of depressive disorders in primary health care are unrecognized. Depression is accompanied by comorbid diseases in 70%, and is the reason for poorer prognosis and poorer comorbidity
outcomes.
Aim. To investigate the prevalence of depression in family medicine registrars' surgeries, the connection with socioeconomic factors, and to identify the most frequent comorbid diseases.
Subjects and Method. Cross-sectional research was provided in May 2006 in five family medicine registrars' surgeries from different parts of Croatia, and among 7228 patients in their care. Patients with
diagnosis of depression according to ICD 10, code F32 – Depression and code F33 – Depression recurrences were identified. A questionnaire was constructed for this research and filled with data from medical records and data according to estimations of family physicians.
Results. Depression was diagnosed in 179 (2.4%) patients, most of them – 77 (43%) were in the age group from 45 to 65 years of age, 2.5 times more frequent among women – 128 (71%). Most of the
depressive patients were among the retired -107 (60%). The socioeconomic status in 130 (73%) depressive patients was estimated as under average. According to family physicians’ estimation 100 (56%) depressive patients had a good family relationship, and 158 (88%) of them had low job strain. 77 (43%) depressive patients were considered as "difficult" patients, and 46 (26%) depressive patients did not look depressed. In 26% of the depressive patients comorbid diseases were from the diagnostic group of diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99), in 23% diseases of the circulatory system
(I00-I99), and in 15% diseases of the digestive system (K00-K99). There was a different distribution of comorbidity among age groups and gender.
Conclusion. The prevalence of only 2.4% depressive patients had a very low recognition percentage and implicated better family medicine registrars' education of depression according to recommendations created in family medicine.
Keywords
depression; family medicine; socioeconomic factors; comorbidity
Hrčak ID:
16665
URI
Publication date:
16.10.2007.
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