Original scientific paper
Effects of Training Program on Recognition and Management of Depression and Suicide Risk Evaluation for Slovenian Primary-care Physicians: Follow-up Study
Saška Roškar
; Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana Slovenia
Anja Podlesek
; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Maja Zorko
; Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana Slovenia
Rok Tavčar
; Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Mojca Zvezdana Dernovšek
; Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Urban Groleger
; Psychiatric Clinic Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Milan Mirjanič
; PINT, University of Primorska Koper, Slovenia
Nuša Konec
; Institute of Public Health, Celje, Slovenia
Evgen Janet
; Institute of Public Health, Ravne na Koroškem, Slovenia
Andrej Marušič
; PINT, University of Primorska Koper, Slovenia
Abstract
Aim To implement and evaluate an educational program
for primary care physicians on recognition and treatment
of depression and suicide prevention.
Method The study was conducted in 3 Slovenian neighboring
regions (Celje, Ravne na Koroškem, and Podravska)
with similar suicide rates and other health indicators. All
primary care physicians from Celje (N = 155) and Ravne na
Koroškem (N = 35) were invited to participate in the educational
program on depression treatment and suicide risk
recognition. From January to March 2003, approximately
half of them (82 out of 190; educational group) attended
the program, whereas the other half (108 out of 190; control
group 1) and physicians from the Podravska region
(N = 164; control group 2) did not attend the program. The
prescription rates of antidepressants and anxiolytics before
and after the intervention were compared between
the studied regions. Also, suicide rates three-years before
and after the intervention were compared.
Results From 2002 to 2003, there was a 2.33-fold increase
in the rate of antidepressant prescriptions in the educational
group (P < 0.05) and only 1.28-fold (P < 0.05) and
1.34-fold (P < 0.05) increase in control groups 1 and 2, respectively.
However, the 12% decrease in suicide rate in
the intervention regions was not significantly greater than
the 4% decrease in the non-intervention region (P > 0.05).
Conclusion Our training program was beneficial for primary
care physicians’ ability to recognize and manage depression.
However, there was no significant decrease in local
suicide rates.
Keywords
depression; suicide; primary care physician; treatment; follow up; antidepressants
Hrčak ID:
55660
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2010.
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