Prevalence Of Depressive Illness Research Articles

Prevalence of Depressive Illness Among Patients with Asthmatic Disease Attending the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH)

Asthmatic disease is a chronic distressing respiratory disease. Many sufferers of asthmatic diseases tend to have co morbid depressive illness of variable severity due to the psychological/emotional burden associated with the disease. There is currently a paucity of data on the exact prevalence of depressive illness associated with patients with Asthma in this environment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depressive illness in patients with asthmatic disease attending the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). Consent for the study was obtained from the Ethical Committee of the hospital. Patients for the study were recruited from different departments of the hospital. Asthmatics patients recruited were only those diagnosed by Consultant Physicians in the Departments of study, who have been on treatment for at least a period of 6 months. Also, subjects whose psychiatric illness preceded the asthmatic disease were equally excluded from the study. A socio-demographic questionnaire as well as the Beck’s Depressive Inventory (BDI) was used as study instruments. The data obtained were analyzed using the SPSS version 20. Confidence interval was set at 95% and a P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 46 patients were enlisted into the study. Out of the total number of 46 patients, 31(67.4%) of them were found to have depressive illness (56% mild, 29% moderate and 15% had major depressive illness). Five patients representing 10.9% had suicidal ideation and 2(4.3%) had actually attempted at least on two occasions. 65% mostly of the mild depressive illness were not aware of their mental ill-health. Only 9% of those who were aware of their psychiatric condition had sought psychiatric intervention. From the study, the prevalence of depressive illness among asthmatic patients in UPTH is high and many of the patients appear unfortunately not to receive appropriately treatment as diagnosis and referral are still relatively inadequate and imprecise. There is therefore, great need for awareness of the existence of this comorbidity as well as institution of appropriate identification measures and subsequent referral for appropriate treatment. This will undoubtedly improve the management of asthmatics as well as their quality of life.

The burden of mental health in lymphatic filariasis.

BackgroundNeglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) afflict around one billion individuals in the poorest parts of the world with many more at risk. Lymphatic filariasis is one of the most prevalent of the infections and causes significant morbidity in those who suffer the clinical conditions, particularly lymphedema and hydrocele. Depressive illness has been recognised as a prevalent disability in those with the disease because of the stigmatising nature of the condition. No estimates of the burden of depressive illness of any neglected tropical disease have been undertaken to date despite the recognition that such diseases have major consequences for mental health not only for patients but also their caregivers.MethodsWe developed a mathematical model to calculate the burden of Disability- Adjusted Life Years (DALY) attributable to depressive illness in lymphatic filariasis and that of their caregivers using standard methods for calculating DALYs. Estimates of numbers with clinical disease was based on published estimates in 2012 and the numbers with depressive illness from the available literature.ResultsWe calculated that the burden of depressive illness in filariasis patients was 5.09 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and 229,537 DALYs attributable to their caregivers. These figures are around twice that of 2.78 million DALYs attributed to filariasis by the Global Burden of Disease study of 2010.ConclusionsLymphatic filariasis and other neglected tropical diseases, notably Buruli Ulcer, cutaneous leishmaniasis, leprosy, yaws, onchocerciasis and trachoma cause significant co morbidity associated with mental illness in patients. Studies to assess the prevalence of the burden of this co-morbidity should be incorporated into any future assessment of the Global Burden of neglected tropical diseases. The prevalence of depressive illness in caregivers who support those who suffer from these conditions is required. Such assessments are critical for neglected tropical diseases which have such a huge global prevalence and thus will contribute a significant burden of co-morbidity attributable to mental illness.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-015-0068-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Usefulness of Blatt–Kupperman scale in depression diagnosis in post menopausal women

Prevalence of depressive illness is twice as high in women than in men, regardless of race and social or economic status. Several factors are linked to depression including genetic, biologic and neuroendocrine. Depression during menopause is twice as frequent than in reproductive age women. Blatt–Kupperman (BK) scale is a tool to help evaluate the severity of menopausal symptoms. The objective of this study is to evaluate its usefulness in inferring postmenopausal depression. Material and methods: Symptoms related to post menopause were evaluated in 674 patients using BK and the grade of depression was later measured using a modified Hamilton Scale, rating patient conditions as Depression, Anxiety Reaction and Normal (without depression). The statistic analysis was by ANOVA. Results: 179 (26.8%) patients were diagnosed as Depressed, 168 (25.2%) as Anxiety Reaction and 321 (48.0%) as without depression. By grouping the results according to BK scale, we found that the prevalence of Depression was 0% when menopause symptoms were absent, 8.9% when minimal symptoms (BK under 15), 10.6% with mild symptoms, 46.5 with moderate symptoms and 53% if symptoms were severe (BK over 36) ( P<0.001.). Conclusion: All menopausal patients with a BK over 36 should be specifically monitored for depression. Those patients with severe symptoms have over 50% probability of also presenting an underlying depression case.

Hidden psychiatric morbidity in elderly prisoners.

The number of elderly prisoners has increased significantly in Western countries over the past decade. Little is known about the psychiatric morbidity of this population. To determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in elderly sentenced prisoners. A stratified sample of 203 male sentenced prisoners aged over 59 years, from 15 prisons in England and Wales, representing one in five men in this age group, was interviewed using semistructured standardised instruments for psychiatric illness and personality disorder. More than half of the elderly prisoners had a psychiatric diagnosis. The most common diagnoses were personality disorder and depressive illness. The prevalence of depressive illness was five times greater than that found in other studies of younger adult prisoners and elderly people in the community. Underdetected, undertreated depressive illness in elderly prisoners is an increasing public health problem.

Screening for depression in hospitalised elderly medical patients

AbstractObjective: The aim of this study was to screen a group of medically ill elderly hospitalised patients for depression and to facilitate this using a new screening questionnaire called the Evans Liverpool Depression Rating Scale (ELDRS).Method: The questionnaire was administered by a geriatric registrar to a consecutive series of 37 acutely ill elderly medical inpatients admitted to an acute hospital ward. They were subsequently interviewed by a member of the psychiatry of old age team.Results: Seven of the 37 acutely ill elderly patients admitted to hospital were found to be suffering from a major depressive illness according to DSMIIIR criteria. Of the patients screened, two were already on antidepressant medication. Five of the depressed patients were identified by using the ELDRS. All of the depressed group were judged to require antidepressant medication and two were referred to a psychiatry of old age day hospital.Conclusions: Our results suggest that there is a raised prevalence of depressive illness in elderly acutely ill medical patients which remains undetected. Use of a screening questionnaire such as the ELDRS would increase the likelihood of its identification in this group.

The prevalence of depression in a cohort of the very elderly

In a community study of 1173 very elderly (≥ 77 years) subjects, a screening interview was followed by a CAMDEX diagnostic interview in a subsample of 461. The estimated prevalence of DSM-III-R major depressive disorder in the community sampled was 2.4% (95% CI 0.9%, 4.0%). Using CAMDEX criteria, the prevalence of depressive illness was 3.0% (95% CI 0.7%, 5.3%). 10% of those who had a diagnostic interview were rated as having depressive symptoms of mild or moderate severity. Of these, ~ 1 3 met diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder. The significance of these findings and the possible need for wider criteria for depression in the elderly are discussed.

Prevalence of depression after stroke: the Perth Community Stroke Study.

The Perth Community Stroke Study (PCSS) was a population-based study of the incidence, cause, and outcome of acute stroke. Subjects from the study were assessed initially, by examination and interview, and at four- and 12-month follow-ups to determine differences in prevalence of depression between the sexes and between patients with first-ever and recurrent strokes. The prevalence of depressive illness four months after stroke in 294 patients from the PCSS was 23% (18-28%), 15% (11-19%) major depression and 8% (5-11%) minor depression. There were no significant differences between the sexes or between patients with first-ever and recurrent strokes. With a non-hierarchic approach to diagnosis of those with depression, 26% of men and 39% of women had an associated anxiety disorder, mainly agoraphobia. Nine per cent of male and 13% of female patients interviewed had evidence of depression at the time of the stroke. Twelve months after stroke 56% of the men were still depressed (40% major and 16% minor), as were 30% of the women (12% major and 18% minor). The prevalence of depression after stroke was comparable with that reported from other studies, and considerably less than that reported from in-patient and rehabilitation units.

Depressive illness among chemically dependent adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and correlates of depression among adolescents being treated for chemical dependence. Using the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule, the authors interviewed 223 adolescents, aged 15-19 years, who were in residential treatment for alcohol or drug dependence diagnosed according to DSM-III-R criteria. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, school and social performance, past history, family composition, familial alcohol and drug abuse, and previous victimization of the subjects were also gathered. Fifty-four (24.7%) of the subjects met the DSM-III-R criteria for depression. Very few of the traditional correlates of depression discriminated depressed from nondepressed subjects, suggesting that the presence of chemical dependence overrides other predictors of depression. Only female gender, paternal psychopathology, and victimization (physical abuse, sexual abuse) emerged as important variables associated with depression. However, subjects whose onset of depression preceded their chemical dependence had different characteristics from those whose depression began after their chemical dependence. The prevalence of depressive illness in these chemically dependent adolescents was approximately three times that reported for nonreferred groups of similar age. This high rate of depression reflects the contributions of two distinct groups--those with primary depression and those with depression subsequent to chemical dependence--whose characteristics differed, suggesting the possibility of two pathologic processes, similar in manifestation but with different associated features and possibly with distinct etiologies. Confirmation of these findings in further research could indicate that the two forms of depression may require different treatment approaches.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

To the Editor. — Gold et al 1 reported that patients with chronic fatigue displayed no evidence of ongoing EBV infection but showed a strikingly high prevalence of depressive illness. We offer further evidence to support the latter finding. Chronic fatigue syndrome has been shown to overlap significantly with fibromyalgia, 2,3 an idiopathic rheumatic condition characterized by chronic generalized pain, multiple tender points, and, frequently, persistent fatigue. We recently interviewed 33 consecutive patients with fibromyalgia using the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition (SCID), 4 a structured interview designed to assess the prevalence of current or past major psychiatric disorders. We also administered a supplemental interview in SCID format assessing chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, and narcolepsy. Of the 33 patients with fibromyalgia, 14 (42%) met the full interview criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome, and nine others (27%) fell only

Depression among men made involuntarily redundant.

Ninety-eight men aged 25-50, who were unemployed because of involuntary redundancy and out of work for 2-18 months, completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30). Their scores were compared with those of a group of employed men matched for age and social class. The mean GHQ score for the redundant men was 13.0, compared with 4.0 for the employed group. The mean BDI score was 11.1 for the redundant group and 5.6 for the employed group. Eighteen per cent of the redundant men, compared with 6% of the employed group, scored 18 or more which are scores corresponding to those in depressive illness. We conclude that the prevalence of depressive illness may be increased among redundant men.

Untreated Depression in a Working Population

An attempt was made to assess the six months' prevalence rate of depression in a working population. The survey involved a total of 233 employees, in entertainment industry. Out of the total population of 233, 77 were to participate in the survey because of shift work and 18 refused. One hundred and thirty-eight probands were investigated, a compliance rate of 88.46%. Results show a very high prevalence of depressive illness in working population (9.4%); 21.7% showed "depressive symptoms only" and "terminal insomnia only". The majority of sufferers, particularly the males, remains untreated. The similarity of our findings compared to several well-controlled studies is striking, but this report can only be regarded as preliminary, and further in-depth investigations will have to be carried out.

Psychiatric consultation to a general hospital medical evaluation service

Psychiatric consultation to a general hospital medical evaluation service was reviewed and compared with consultation patterns for general hospital inpatients and psychiatric emergency service patients. Results of a questionnaire survey indicated nearly 1 in 5 patients admitted to this acute medical service (24-hour maximum stay) required psychiatric consultation. A study of those patients seen by psychiatric consultants is reported. The prevalence of depressive illness as well as the psychiatric hospitalization referral rate was substantially greater than in general hospital inpatient or psychiatric emergency service evaluations. The implications of this relatively new area of consultation-liaison for hospital staffing and medical education are discussed.