Many of the patients with depression also have somatic complaints, which make it difficult to focus on concurrent mental problems and to identify depression within this time limit. 1, 9, 10 The time allocated for each patient in Swedish primary care is about 20–30 minutes. It is well known that there are difficulties in diagnosing patients with depression in primary care, and only about half of patients with depression are identified as such by GPs. 1 – 6 In Sweden, about 25% of primary care patients experience depression and/or anxiety, 3, 7 – 8 and patients with mild to moderate depression are primarily treated in primary care. Depression is one of the most common illnesses, with a point prevalence around 15% in primary care and 5% in the general population. To facilitate this process there are several self-rating scales with the ability to screen for depression and anxiety. For GPs, identifying patients with depression and monitoring their treatment is an ongoing challenge.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |