Display options
Cite
Trautmann S, Beesdo-Baum K. The Treatment of Depression in Primary Care. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(43):721-728doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0721.
Trautmann, S., & Beesdo-Baum, K. (2017). The Treatment of Depression in Primary Care. Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 114(43), 721-728. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2017.0721
Trautmann, Sebastian, and Beesdo-Baum, Katja. "The Treatment of Depression in Primary Care." Deutsches Arzteblatt international vol. 114,43 (2017): 721-728. doi: https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2017.0721
Trautmann S, Beesdo-Baum K. The Treatment of Depression in Primary Care. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017 Oct 27;114(43):721-728. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0721. PMID: 29143731; PMCID: PMC5696564.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017 Oct 27;114(43):721-728. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0721.

The Treatment of Depression in Primary Care.

Deutsches Arzteblatt international

Sebastian Trautmann, Katja Beesdo-Baum

Affiliations

  1. Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, TU Dresden; Behavioral Epidemiology, TU Dresden; Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies, TU Dresden.

PMID: 29143731 PMCID: PMC5696564 DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2017.0721

Abstract

BACKGROUND: General practitioners play a key role in the care of patients with depressive disorders. We studied the frequency and type of treatment of depressive disorders in primary care.

METHODS: In a cross-sectional epidemiological study on a particular day in six different regions in Germany, 253 physicians and 3563 unselected patients were asked to fill in a questionnaire assessing the diagnosis and treatment of depression. A total of 3431 usable patient data sets and 3211 sets of usable data from both the patient and the physician were subjected to further analysis.

RESULTS: 68.0% of the 490 patients in primary care who were classified as depressed according to the Depression Screening Questionnaire received treatment from their general practitioner or in other care settings; the probability of being treated by the general practitioner was higher for patients whose diagnosis was recognized by the general practitioner (92.8%) than for the remaining depressed patients (47.8%). On the day of data recording, 54.1% of the depressed patients were under treatment by the general practitioner and 21.2% had been referred to specialized treatment. Approximately 60% of the depressed patients were not being treated, as recommended in the guidelines, with antidepressant drugs, psychotherapy, or both. The likelihood of being treated in conformity with the guidelines depended on whether or not the general practitioner had made the diagnosis of depression (odds ratio [OR] = 7.5; 95% confidence interval = [4.9; 11.6]; p <0,001); it was also higher if the general practitioner had an additional qualification in psychotherapy (OR = 1.9; [1.1; 3.4]; p = 0.022).

CONCLUSION: The finding that a relevant proportion of patients with depressive disorders in primary care are inadequately treated indicates the need to improve general practitioners' ability to diagnose these conditions and determine the indication for treatment.

References

  1. BMC Fam Pract. 2007 May 11;8:28 - PubMed
  2. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2012 Mar;47(3):475-86 - PubMed
  3. JAMA. 1999 Nov 10;282(18):1737-44 - PubMed
  4. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1998 Nov;33(11):568-78 - PubMed
  5. Int J Qual Health Care. 2006 Apr;18(2):113-9 - PubMed
  6. J Affect Disord. 2016 Jan 1;189:246-53 - PubMed
  7. Depress Anxiety. 2007;24(3):185-95 - PubMed
  8. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1991 Aug;48(8):700-6 - PubMed
  9. J Psychosom Res. 2013 Jan;74(1):82-5 - PubMed
  10. BMC Fam Pract. 2015 Jul 29;16:90 - PubMed
  11. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2014 Sep;23(3):304-19 - PubMed
  12. Med Care. 2004 Dec;42(12):1211-21 - PubMed
  13. Nervenarzt. 2002 Jul;73(7):651-8 - PubMed
  14. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011 Oct;21(10):718-79 - PubMed
  15. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2011 Sep;21(9):655-79 - PubMed
  16. Psychiatr Prax. 2009 May;36(4):169-74 - PubMed
  17. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2013 Nov 22;110(47):799-808 - PubMed
  18. Br J Gen Pract. 2011 Feb;61(583):e72-80 - PubMed
  19. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2014 Sep;23(3):289-303 - PubMed
  20. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010 Oct;107(40):700-8 - PubMed
  21. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2002 Jun;17 Suppl 1:S1-11 - PubMed
  22. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2011 Jun;29(2):80-4 - PubMed
  23. Lancet. 2009 Aug 22;374(9690):609-19 - PubMed

MeSH terms

Publication Types