Emotional disorders in primary care

Age Disparities in Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Among US Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Importance

High levels of anxiety and depression were documented shortly after the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and were more prevalent in younger adults than in older adults. Knowing whether these age disparities persisted throughout multiple years of the COVID-19 pandemic and identifying associated factors will help guide health policy.

Objective

To investigate age disparities in anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study consisted of a nationally representative online survey administered between April 2020 and August 2022 and included US adults who were not incarcerated. Data were analyzed between March and September 2022.

Exposures

The first 27 months of the COVID-19 pandemic included wide variation in infection rates, turbulence in US political and social life, and geopolitical instability. Primary exposures include individuals' age and economic precarity and pandemic-related events (eg, weekly state-level case counts and individual vaccination status).

Main outcomes and measures

Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed via responses to 2-item screeners (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item for anxiety and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 for depression). An individual's symptoms were identified as clinically elevated if scores exceeded validated thresholds.

Results

This study included 3 028 923 respondents (mean [SD] age, 48.9 [17.0] years; 1 567 603 [51.8%] female). In multiple regression analyses that include state fixed effects and survey-week fixed effects, likely anxiety and depressive disorders among 291 382 (40%) and 238 505 (33%) of adults aged 18 to 39 years, respectively, compared with 357 820 (31%) and 274 534 (24%) of adults aged 40 to 59 years and 225 295 (20%) and 183 695 (16%) adults aged 60 years and older. Levels declined throughout the pandemic period for those aged 40 years and older but remained elevated for younger adults. Analyses identified several associated factors of these age disparities. Younger adults' anxiety and depression increased more than older adults' after surges in COVID-19 case counts but decreased less following vaccination against the virus. Additionally, approximately one third of the age gap among individuals with depression and anxiety was attributed to economic precarity, to which younger adults are disproportionately exposed.

Conclusions and relevance

In this cross-sectional study of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, economic precarity was associated with high anxiety and depression among younger adults in the US compared with older adults in the US. These findings suggest a need for greater mental health care and economic policies targeted toward younger adults.

A trajectory-based approach to understand the factors associated with persistent depressive symptoms in primary care

BACKGROUND

Depression screening in primary care yields high numbers. Knowledge of how depressive symptoms change over time is limited, making decisions about type, intensity, frequency and length of treatment and follow-up difficult. This study is aimed to identify depressive symptom trajectories and associated socio-demographic, co-morbidity, health service use and treatment factors to inform clinical care.

METHODS

789 people scoring 16 or more on the CES-D recruited from 30 randomly selected Australian family practices. Depressive symptoms are measured using PHQ-9 at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

RESULTS

Growth mixture modelling identified a five-class trajectory model as the best fitting (lowest Bayesian Information Criterion): three groups were static (mild (n=532), moderate (n=138) and severe (n=69)) and two were dynamic (decreasing severity (n=32) and increasing severity (n=18)). The mild symptom trajectory was the most common (n=532). The severe symptom trajectory group (n=69) differed significantly from the mild symptom trajectory group on most variables. The severe and moderate groups were characterised by high levels of disadvantage, abuse, morbidity and disability. Decreasing and increasing severity trajectory classes were similar on most variables.

LIMITATIONS

Adult only cohort, self-report measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Most symptom trajectories remained static, suggesting that depression, as it presents in primary care, is not always an episodic disorder. The findings indicate future directions for building prognostic models to distinguish those who are likely to have a mild course from those who are likely to follow more severe trajectories. Determining appropriate clinical responses based upon a likely depression course requires further research.

Diagnosing somatisation disorder (P75) in routine general practice using the International Classification of Primary Care

OBJECTIVE

(i) To analyze general practitioners' diagnosis of somatisation disorder (P75) using the International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC)-2-E in routine general practice. (ii) To validate the distinctiveness of the ICD-10 to ICPC-2 conversion rule which maps ICD-10 dissociative/conversion disorder (F44) as well as half of the somatoform categories (F45.0-2) to P75 and codes the other half of these disorders (F45.3-9), including autonomic organ dysfunctions and pain syndromes, as symptom diagnoses plus a psychosocial code in a multiaxial manner.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analysis of routine data from a German research database comprising the electronic patient records of 32 general practitioners from 22 practices. For each P75 patient, control subjects matched for age, gender, and practice were selected from the 2007 yearly contact group (YCG) without a P75 diagnosis using a propensity-score algorithm that resulted in eight controls per P75 patient.

RESULTS

Of the 49,423 patients in the YCG, P75 was diagnosed in 0.6% (302) and F45.3-9 in 1.8% (883) of cases; overall, somatisation syndromes were diagnosed in 2.4% of patients. The P75 coding pattern coincided with typical characteristics of severe, persistent medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). F45.3-9 was found to indicate moderate MUS that otherwise showed little clinical difference from P75. Pain syndromes exhibited an unspecific coding pattern. Mild and moderate MUS were predominantly recorded as symptom diagnoses. Psychosocial codes were rarely documented.

CONCLUSIONS

ICPC-2 P75 was mainly diagnosed in cases of severe MUS. Multiaxial coding appears to be too complicated for routine primary care. Instead of splitting P75 and F45.3-9 diagnoses, it is proposed that the whole MUS spectrum should be conceptualized as a continuum model comprising categorizations of uncomplicated (mild) and complicated (moderate and severe) courses. Psychosocial factors require more attention.

U.S. healthcare providers' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions concerning Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

BACKGROUND

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating illness with particular difficulties for healthcare providers because there are no diagnostic signs or laboratory tests and because management aims to merely improve symptoms. Further complicating management, healthcare providers' awareness concerning CFS has not been rigorously assessed. The present study aimed to ascertain United States (U.S.) healthcare providers' awareness of CFS and to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) related to diagnosis and management of the illness. This information forms the foundation for developing CFS educational strategies.

METHODS

We combined convenience and probability samples to measure CFS KAB among healthcare providers. In the convenience sample, 1,255 healthcare providers (81% response rate) from 13 professional conferences completed a 12-item form. Descriptive statistics were reported for 9 KAB item responses and chi-square tests were performed for examining their association with giving a diagnosis of CFS. We used principal component analysis to construct multidimensional subscales and perform a general linear model to examine factors associated with subscales. The probability sample involved data on 15 CFS-specific questions from 2006 and 2007 DocStyles web-based panel surveys collected from 2,750 physicians (average response rate 55%). We calculated descriptive and chi-square statistics. The significance was set at two-tailed with the alpha level of 0.05.

RESULTS

Healthcare providers in both samples were aware of CFS and exhibited a high level of knowledge. Overall, 96% of respondents in the DocStyles (probability) sample had heard about CFS. Healthcare providers in the conference (convenience) sample demonstrated good KAB scores; physicians' scores were highest on KAB scales and lowest in perception. Nurses' scores were lowest in knowledge. More than 40% of physicians reported ever giving a CFS diagnosis and in the DocStyles (probability) sample more than 80% of physicians correctly identified CFS symptoms. Physicians reported professional journals, the Internet, and continuing education programs as the top 3 sources from which they obtain CFS information.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from these combined samples fill a gap in the evidence-base of U.S. healthcare providers' and knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs concerning CFS. Importantly, respondents in both samples expressed similar knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and perceptions. Awareness was high and negative attitudes were low. The primary areas for future education should address diagnosis and management of CFS and should be delivered through those venues providers indicated they primarily use. Data from this study provide a benchmark for evaluation the success of these future efforts.

Age patterns in the prevalence of DSM-IV depressive/anxiety disorders with and without physical co-morbidity

BACKGROUND

Physical morbidity is a potent risk factor for depression onset and clearly increases with age, yet prior research has often found depressive disorders to decrease with age. This study tests the possibility that the relationship between age and mental disorders differs as a function of physical co-morbidity.

METHOD

Eighteen general population surveys were carried out among household-residing adults as part of the World Mental Health (WMH) surveys initiative (n=42 697). DSM-IV disorders were assessed using face-to-face interviews with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). The effect of age was estimated for 12-month depressive and/or anxiety disorders with and without physical or pain co-morbidity, and for physical and/or pain conditions without mental co-morbidity.

RESULTS

Depressive and anxiety disorders decreased with age, a result that cannot be explained by organic exclusion criteria. No significant difference was found in the relationship between mental disorders and age as a function of physical/pain co-morbidity. The majority of older persons have chronic physical or pain conditions without co-morbid mental disorders; by contrast, the majority of those with mental disorders have physical/pain co-morbidity, particularly among the older age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

CIDI-diagnosed depressive and anxiety disorders in the general population decrease with age, despite greatly increasing physical morbidity with age. Physical morbidity among persons with mental disorder is the norm, particularly in older populations. Health professionals, including mental health professionals, need to address barriers to the management of physical co-morbidity among those with mental disorders.

Overcoming challenges to integrating behavioral health into primary care

Integrating behavioral healthcare into the primary care setting is associated with many benefits; however, plans to integrate care must address several challenges. This article identifies the challenges of integrating behavioral health specialists into primary care and describes strategies used to overcome these challenges.

Classification and diagnosis of patients with medically unexplained symptoms

Patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) have little or no demonstrable disease explanation for the symptoms, and comorbid psychiatric disorders are frequent. Although common, costly, distressed, and often receiving ill-advised testing and treatments, most MUS patients go unrecognized, which precludes effective treatment. To enhance recognition, we present an emerging perspective that envisions a unitary classification for the entire spectrum of MUS where this diagnosis comprises severity, duration, and comorbidity. We then present a specific approach for making the diagnosis at each level of severity. Although our disease-based diagnosis system dictates excluding organic disease to diagnose MUS, much exclusion can occur clinically without recourse to laboratory or consultative evaluation because the majority of patients are mild. Only the less common, "difficult" patients with moderate and severe MUS require investigation to exclude organic diseases. By explicitly diagnosing and labeling all severity levels of MUS, we propose that this diagnostic approach cannot only facilitate effective treatment but also reduce the cost and morbidity from unnecessary interventions.

Psychosocial and pharmacological interventions for depressed adults in primary care: a critical review

Primary care settings are the principal context for treating clinical depression, with researchers beginning to explore the efficacy of psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for depression within this infrastructure. Feasibility and process variables also are being assessed, including issues of cost-effectiveness, viability of collaborative care models, predictors of treatment outcome, and effectiveness of treatment providers without specialized mental health training. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research and American Psychiatric Association initially released guidelines for the treatment of depression in primary care [American Psychiatric Association, 1993. Practice Guidelines for major depressive disorder in adults. American Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 1-26., American Psychiatric Association, 2000. Practice Guideline for the treatment of patients with major depressive disorder (revision). American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 1-45], however, a vast literature has accumulated over the past several years, calling for a systematic re-evaluation of the status of depression treatment in primary care. The present study provides a contemporary review of outcome data for psychosocial and pharmacological interventions in primary care and extends beyond AHCPR guidelines insofar as focusing on feasibility and process variables, including the training and proficiency of primary care treatment providers, cost-effectiveness of primary care interventions, and predictors of treatment response and relapse. Based on current guidelines, problem-solving therapy (PST-PC), interpersonal psychotherapy, and pharmacotherapy would be considered efficacious interventions for major depression, with cognitive-behavioral and cognitive therapy considered possibly efficacious. Psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy generally are of comparable efficacy, and both modalities are superior to usual care in treating depression. Methodological limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Assessing worry in older and younger adults: Psychometric properties of an abbreviated Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ-A)

Among older adults, recent work indicated that Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) data fit poorly with previously established models, leading to use of model modification procedures to create an abbreviated worry questionnaire (PSWQ-A; Hopko, D. R., Stanley, M. A., Reas, D. L., Wetherell, J. L., Beck, J. G., Novy, D. M., et al. (2003). Assessing worry in older adults: Confirmatory factor analyses of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and psychometric properties of an abbreviated model. Psychological Assessment, 15, 173-183). Given limitations of this prior study that included the post hoc statistical development of the scale and undefined relevance toward assessing worry in younger cohorts, psychometric properties of the PSWQ-A were explored among independent samples of older (n = 115) and younger adults (n = 183). Exploratory factor analyses supported a unidimensional model (breadth and control of worry) that accounted for substantial variance in older (57%) and younger adult samples (70%) and was associated with high factor loadings (.66-.89). Internal consistency (alpha = .89-.94) and test-retest reliability (r = .87-.95) was strong in both samples. Moderate to strong convergent validity with measures of worry and anxiety was evident (r = .46-.83), as was support for the construct validity of the PSWQ-A via its relation to the PSWQ (r = .65-.83) and similar relations with other anxiety and worry measures. Although further study is required, the PSWQ-A may be a parsimonious method to assess worry in older and younger adults.

Depression case finding in primary care: a method for the mandates

The current mandates for depression screening in primary care create a dilemma for clinicians. How should screening be implemented in the face of limited evidence for sustainable strategies for effective depression monitoring and management in primary care. In this article we review the issues surrounding primary care depression screening, and develop the argument for a case-finding strategy that includes careful choice of a single instrument, focused identification of high-risk patients, and systematic monitoring of outcomes. We believe this is a sustainable method that primary care clinicians can implement to address the spirit of current depression screening mandates.

Racial differences in mental health service utilization among low-income women

The authors present data on mental health outpatient services in non-specialty settings in a sample of low-income women by exploring service use in the general medical sector, specialty mental health/substance services, the human service sector, and self-help groups. Findings are reported from 668 African American and White women in the Mothers' Well-Being Study (MWS). The MWS measured a range of psychiatric and substance dependence disorders using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Version 2.1 (CIDI2.1). The MWS also gathered data regarding outpatient mental health service utilization. In the year preceding the study, 43.9% of the White respondents and 39.0% of the African American respondents had at least one of the mental health disorders measured in the MWS. There were no significant differences in the frequency of any of the disorders by race. However, White respondents with disorders received more treatment than African American women in the general medical sector. In the year prior to the interview, nearly a quarter (22.4%) of White women with any diagnosis received care in the general medical sector compared to only 9.1% of African American women. The racial disparity in mental health treatment in the general medical sector may indicate that African American low-income women are not receiving the same level of care as White women. The authors discuss the implications of this disparity and suggest ways of expanding access to care for African American women in the general medical setting.

Evaluation of general practitioners' training: how to manage patients with unexplained physical symptoms

Patients with unexplained physical symptoms ("somatoform disorders") tend to overuse the healthcare system. Therefore, the authors aimed to assess whether a training session for general practitioners (GPs) on managing patients with unexplained physical symptoms would be acceptable to GPs and lead to improvements in patient care. In a randomized clinical trial (GPs randomized), GPs got a 1-day training session and additional materials. Included were 26 GP offices in primary care and 295 patients with unexplained physical symptoms (minimum of two symptoms required). Outcome measures were healthcare utilization (number of doctor visits) 6 months before and 6 months after the index visit to the GP, somatization severity, depression, and hypochondriacal fears at the index visit to the GP's office and 6 months later. Training GPs to manage these patients led to significant reductions in healthcare utilization; patients of untrained GPs showed comparable attendance rates in the 6 months before and after the index visit. Differences in depression, somatization, and hypochondriacal fears, however, could not be attributed to the GP training. GPs rated the training as being highly relevant for their everyday practices, underlining the need for and acceptance of the training. Training GPs in managing patients with unexplained physical symptoms seems to be helpful for the reduction of excessive healthcare utilization. These 1-day workshops have high acceptability, so this approach could be a good model for empirically-validated continuing-education programs.

Rurality, gender, and mental health treatment

Mental health problems are common and costly, yet many individuals with these problems either do not receive care or receive care that is inadequate. Gender and place of residence contribute to disparities in the use of mental health services. The objective of this study was to identify the influence of gender and rurality on mental health services utilization by using more sensitive indices of rurality. Pooled data from 4 panels of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (1996-2000) yielded a sample of 32,219 respondents aged 18 through 64. Variables were stratified by residence using rural-urban continuum codes. We used logistic and linear regression to model effects of gender and rurality on treatment rates. We found that rural women are less likely to receive mental health treatment either through the general healthcare system or through specialty mental health systems when compared to women in metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) or urbanized non-MSA areas. Rural men receive less mental health treatment than do rural women and less specialty mental health treatment than do men in MSAs or least rural non-MSA areas. Reported mental health deteriorates as the level of rurality increases. There is a considerable unmet need for mental health services in most rural areas. The general health sector does not seem to contribute remarkably to mental health services for women in these areas.

Development and validation of a psychosocial screening instrument for cancer

Background

We are reporting on the development of a psychosocial screening tool for cancer patients. The tool was to be brief, at a relatively low reading level, capture psychological variables relevant to distress and health-related quality-of-life in cancer patients, possess good reliability and validity, and be free of copyright protection.

Method

Item derivation is described, data on reliability and validity as well as norms are reported for three samples of cancer patients (n = 1057; n = 570, n = 101).

Results

The resulting 21-item psychological screen for cancer (PSCAN) assesses perceived social support, desired social support, health-related quality-of-life, anxiety and depression. It has good psychometrics including high internal consistency (alpha averaging .83, and acceptable test-retest stability over 2 months (averaging r = .64). Validity has been established for content, construct and concurrent validity.

Conclusion

PSCAN is considered ready for use as a screening tool and also for following changes in patient distress throughout the cancer care trajectory. It is freely available to all interested non-profit users.

Terrorism's psychologic effects and their implications for primary care policy, research, and education

This paper examines primary care physicians' (PCP) roles in helping the nation prepare for, respond to, and recover from the psychologic consequences of chemical, biologic, radiologic, or nuclear (CBRN) terrorism. First, we discuss the psychologic consequences of a CBRN attack and PCPs' roles in responding to these consequences. Second, we analyze these roles in light of the known barriers to delivering high-quality, primary care-based, mental health care. Third, we offer recommendations for mitigating these barriers and preparing PCPs to respond to the psychosocial consequences of a CBRN weapon. Importantly, our recommendations provide dual-use benefits to PCPs faced with the daily concerns of primary care mental health, including improved linkages and electronic connectivity with mental health, information technology, and decision support for providers, and needed education and research.

Depression with atypical features in a sample of primary care outpatients: prevalence, specific characteristics and consequences

BACKGROUND

In the context of the current debate on the clinical relevance of atypical depression, the present study investigated the prevalence and specific characteristics of the disorder in depressed primary care outpatients and compared patients with atypical and with the prototypical form of depression ("non-atypical" depression).

METHODS

403 patients were examined using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, Hamilton Depression Scale and DSM-IV criteria. Configurational frequency analyses (CFA) were conducted to identify non-random configurations of symptoms. Moreover, tests for independent sample comparisons were applied.

RESULTS

The prevalence of atypical depression in our sample of depressed patients was 26.3%. CFA revealed one significant symptom pattern: mood reactivity without additional atypical features (p<0.000001). A significant difference emerged between patients suffering from atypical versus non-atypical depression in terms of severity (p< or =0.001).

LIMITATIONS

The sample size was modest.

CONCLUSIONS

A considerable proportion of depressed primary care outpatients may suffer from atypical depression which may contribute to under-recognition of depression in primary care. Results of CFA indicated the significance of mood reactivity which may also occur in depressed patients without additional atypical symptoms. Patients with atypical depression may suffer from less severe depression as compared to patients with non-atypical depression.

Behavioral and mental health problems in low-income children with special health care needs

This study examined caregiver perceptions of mental health problems and counseling needs in low-income children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Interviewers collected data from 257 caregivers of CSHCN (61% males; 60% African American; Mean age = 8.4 years) attending six Midwestern inner-city health clinics. Measures included the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and an investigator-designed questionnaire. CBCL T-scores indicated that 38% of CSHCN had a behavioral or mental health problem, but only 26% of caregivers perceived the need for treatment or counseling. CSHCN should be assessed and referred appropriately for behavioral and mental health problems during routine health care visits.

The Future of Health Psychology Interventions

Progress in health psychology interventions was reviewed to manage chronic illness, treat psychophysiological disorders, and provide complementary treatment for difficult medical symptoms. A closer synergy between research, clinical applications and public policy, and education and training was advocated to guide future work in these areas. Further, the importance of clinical input informing research directions, the need for interventions to focus on a broader range of individual difference and contextual factors, and for effectiveness studies to influence the adoption of treatments in clinical settings was emphasized. In accordance, greater effort should be devoted to disseminating information on treatment effectiveness to professional and lay groups to maximize the public health benefit of established intervention approaches.

Patterns of change in hostility from college to midlife in the UNC Alumni Heart Study predict high-risk status

OBJECTIVE

To examine hostility measured in college and patterns of change in hostility from college to midlife as predictors of high health-related risk later in midlife.

METHODS

Logistic regression models were used to test hostility/risk associations.

RESULTS

College hostility predicted being a current smoker, consuming more than two drinks of alcohol, low social support, achieving less than expected in career and in relationships, risk for depression, and appraisal of life changing for the worse in terms of family events at midlife. Change in hostility did not predict smoking and drinking; however, it did significantly predict social isolation, lower income (only for women), obesity, avoidance of exercise, high-fat diet, and negative changes in economic life, work life, and physical health events-all risk indicators measured during the next decade. Appraisals of social support, lowered expectations, risk for depression, and reports of family life changing for the worse were predicted at both time periods. When change in hostility was modeled with college hostility, all risk indicators were significantly predicted by college hostility.

CONCLUSIONS

High hostility in college and change in hostility from college to midlife predicts a full range of health risk indicators. When compared with the average population decline in hostility, gains in hostility at midlife are related to increased risk while declines in hostility are related to reduced risk. Higher midlife hostility is associated with increased odds of being in the higher risk group. Future research should focus on developing interventions to reduce hostility.

Screening for depression in medical care: pitfalls, alternatives, and revised priorities

Depression is a disorder seen commonly in general and specialty medical settings. Screening has been advocated as a means of ensuring that depressed patients are identified and receive appropriate treatment. Yet, recommendations for routine screening are frequently made without reference to empirical data demonstrating that it will have its intended effect. We examine the literature regarding screening in medical settings and suggest that screening in itself is unlikely to improve patient outcomes. Further, we identify costs to screening that are not readily apparent and that may negatively affect both patient outcomes and health-care delivery systems. We offer suggestions for how screening instruments might be used to improve the outcomes of depressed persons while minimizing negative effects on health care.

Research to improve the quality of care for depression: alternatives to the simple randomized clinical trial

Recognition of gaps between evidence gained from mental health research and clinical practice in the community together with changes in treatment patterns and patient/provider preferences for care have led to interest in enhancements in the designs and analyses of clinical and community trials of mental health interventions. Gaps between clinical trials and community care include differences in populations and treatment strategies. To bridge these gaps, we propose enhancing the simple randomized trial with several different designs with the immediate aims of improving patient recruitment and adherence in psychiatric intervention studies thus bringing study designs more in line with clinical practice. The goals are to estimate treatment efficacy and effectiveness so that both internal and external validity are optimized. In this discussion, we address design and analytic issues with respect to a number of enhancements of the randomized trial design, including partial patient-provider preference designs, randomized encouragement and consent designs, fixed adaptive design, and random between- and within-patient adaptive designs. Each has advantages and disadvantages depending on the effect under investigation. Some of these enhancements, such as the fixed adaptive design, have begun to be implemented in effectiveness trials in mental health services research, but all are worthy of more attention.

Behavioral medicine and clinical health psychology: introduction to the special issue, a view from the decade of behavior

This collection of articles follows prior special issues on behavioral medicine published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 1982 and 1992. From the vantage point of the Decade of Behavior, the field has grown in scope, depth of basic science foundations, and evidence of applied utility. Yet many challenges remain-especially in addressing a wide range of health problems across diverse populations and in a health care context characterized by rapid changes in technology and by a growing concern with costs and evidence-based practice.

Behavioral medicine: 2002 and beyond

This article highlights future directions for research and practice in behavioral medicine. Topics addressed include social and environmental issues, the role of technology, translational research, improving and developing interventions, and professional training and retraining.

Tratamiento farmacológico de la depresión en cáncer

Objetivo: La depresión mayor es uno de los trastornos psiquiátricos más ampliamente reconocidos en los enfermos de cáncer. En España alrededor de un 16,49% de los pacientes oncológicos desarrollan un Trastorno Depresivo Mayor. Cuando la sintomatología depresiva interfiere en el adecuado funcionamiento del paciente oncológico, los antidepresivos son el tratamiento de primera línea. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la eficacia de las distintas opciones farmacológicas utilizadas para la depresión en pacientes oncológicos.Método: Se realiza una búsqueda bibliográfica en la base de datos PubMed mediante los términos:cancer AND depression treatment AND antidepressant . Se analizaron un total de 36 artículos con un diseño tipo ensayo clínico. Resultados: Se ha encontrado que los fármacos inhibidores de la recaptación de serotonina (ISRS) son eficaces para el tratamiento de la depresión en pacientes con cáncer. La paroxetina es una de las más eficaces. Los antidepresivos de perfil dual también han demostrado eficacia por su rapidez de acción y su utilidad en síntomas colaterales como los síntomas vasomotores y los dolores. La mirtazapina es de gran utilidad en síntomas como el dolor, náuseas, insomnio y ansiedad.Conclusiones: La elección de la medicación debe estar basada en el perfil de síntomas del paciente, el potencial beneficio, la tolerabilidad y el riesgo/beneficio con el propósito de diseñar una estrategia para cada paciente. Los fármacos que han demostrado mayor eficacia y tolerabilidad en nuestro estudio han sido los ISRS, la mirtazapina y los antidepresivos de acción dual.