Conference paper

DEPRESSION: A DIAGNOSIS APTLY USED?

Johannes Wancata ; Division of Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Fabian Friedrich ; Division of Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Abstract

Depression is a very common mental disorder which often
results in relevant negative consequences ranging from
impaired quality of life to an increased suicide rate.
Unfortunately, non-psychiatric physicians frequently underdiagnose
and under-treat depression. Nevertheless, sometime
the diagnosis “depression” is used for mentally well and other
mental disorders (i.e. sometimes depression is overdiagnosed).
Screening tools were suggested to improve the
recognition of mental disorders in everyday clinical work.
Studies have shown that the criterion validity of usual
screening questionnaires such as the Geriatric Depression
Scale (GDS) is sufficient, while very short questionnaires
consisting of one or two questions must not be used because of
high misclassification rates. A meta-analysis of randomized
trials of screening for depression indicate that screening for
depression is probably effective when it is coupled with
additional activities such as educational programs for primary
care physicians.

Keywords

depression; epidemiology; recognition; mass screening; sensitivity; specificity; meta-analysis

Hrčak ID:

76853

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/76853

Publication date:

31.12.2011.

Article data in other languages: german

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