| |
Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
 | |
|
Management strategies in geriatric depression by primary care physicians and factors associated with the use of psychiatric services
— a naturalistic study | | Author(s) | S P Dearman, W Waheed, V Nathoo |
| Journal title | Aging & Mental Health, vol 10, no 5, September 2006 |
| Pages | pp 521-524 |
| Source | http://www.tandfonline.com |
| Keywords | Depression ; General practice ; Referrals ; Psychiatric treatment ; Drugs ; Manchester. |
| Annotation | Approximately 10% of older patients in primary care have depression, yet it is often under-diagnosed and under-treated. This study aimed to establish in a naturalistic setting how older depressed patients are managed in primary care, to determine which patients are referred to psychiatric services, and the differences between patients referred and those not, in terms of primary care consultation rate and degree of co-morbid illness. Computerised records and referral letters were read for 1089 older patients in a large practice in central Manchester. Of the 9% identified as depressed, 90% were managed in primary care alone, a third without any antidepressants. More than half of those prescribed antidepressants received tricyclic antidepressants. Suicidal ideation and treatment failure were the principal reasons for referral. Patients referred had a greater psychiatric co-morbidity and had consulted their GP more frequently in the past year. Management of depression in older people may be conservative, and older antidepressants may be over-prescribed. Increased primary care consultation rate and a greater psychiatric co-morbidity may be associated with referral to psychiatric services. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-070112209 A |
| Classmark | ENR: L5: L5R: LP: LLD: 83E |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
|
| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
| |
|