Depressie in de eerstelijnsgezondheidszorg; internationale gegevens over prevalentie en behandeling, onder meer uit Nederland

To establish the prevalence of depression and other psychiatric disorders in the contact population of primary care physicians (PCPs) in several countries.

Design

Descriptive.

Setting

World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland.

Method

The WHO carried out a study in 15 centers in 14 different countries, including the Groningen centre in the Netherlands. This study comprised interviewing 5438 patients with the primary health care version of the ‘Composite international diagnostic interview’ (CIDI). The PCPs also evaluated their patients‘ somatic and psychic health.

Results

Depression was found to be seen at all centres, according to the CIDI results as well as according to the physicians. Most patients with a depression were treated by the PCPs themselves; only a small proportion were referred. As regards pharmacotherapy, in most centres tranquillizers were prescribed more often than antidepressive agents. Groningen differed from the other centres in that a larger proportion of depressive patients attended the PCPs for a psychological reason for encounter, and in that the patients‘ somatic health was classified as much better. The Groningen PCPs referred to institutes for mental health care more often than the PCPs in most other centres.

Conclusion

Depression was diagnosed in all participating countries, both by PCPs and with the aid of the CIDI results.