The epidemiology of depression in medical care

Major depression may be the most common medical or psychiatric disorder seen in primary medical care clinics, occurring in approximately 6 to 10 percent of the clinic populations. Despite this high prevalence rate, patients with depression often go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed. The evidence suggests a multifactorial etiology for this problem. Many patients with depression selectively focus on the somatic components of their depressive syndrome and minimize or even deny affective and cognitive symptoms. Depression and medical disorders also often occur concomitantly with depression causing amplification of somatic complaints. Due to the unidimensional focus on the biomedical model many physicians only evaluate and treat the physical illness and do not diagnose the depression. This often leads to aggressive medical testing and treatment that carries the risk of iatrogenic injury (polysurgery, multiple tests and procedures, prescription of opiates and benzodiazepines). Several interventions are suggested to improve the diagnostic acumen of primary care physicians.

Depression and somatization: a review. Part I

The authors describe the relationship between the major depressive disorder and somatization. A literature review documenting the incidence and prevalence of depression in primary care and the rate of misdiagnosis is presented. Evidence is collated that points to several factors in misdiagnosis. The patient often selectively complains about the somatic manifestations of depression, minimizes the affective and cognitive components and is treated symptomatically. This is due to the physician's lack of recognition that the patient may have major depressive disorder and yet not recognize and report the mood component. The authors develop a conceptual; model that elucidates the mechanism behind the selective perception and focus by the patient on the somatic manifestations of depression. In this first part, the influence of sociocultural and childhood experience on the ability of the patients to recognize and report mood changes is delineated. Understanding this model is crucial in preventing misdiagnosis and potential iatrogenic harm to the patient.