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Depression in general practice
Author(s) -
Parker Gordon,
Abeshouse Barry,
Morey Elvira,
Holmes Sally,
Manicavasagar Vijaya
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1984.tb113062.x
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , psychology , economics , keynesian economics
The nature and course of depressive disorders in a group of general practice patients were assessed by screening 564 subjects who attended representative practices in Sydney by means of a self‐report depression inventory. Of these, 25% of women and 17% of men reported significant depressive symptoms. An interview was sought with these “potential depressives” to determine, in particular, the extent to which they might be considered to have a psychiatric disorder, using the PSE case‐finding procedure. Of those interviewed, 83% scored as psychiatric “cases”, while the mean duration of their depression was nine months. A longitudinal component to the study suggested that the mental condition of the sample had improved minimally at six weeks' and at 20 weeks' follow‐up assessments.