Abstract

GOMEZ-RESTREPO, Carlos et al. Prevalence of Depressive Disorder among Emergency Department Patients in Bogotá. rev.colomb.psiquiatr. [online]. 2011, vol.40, n.1, pp.22-37. ISSN 0034-7450.

Background: Depression is a public health problem worldwide due to its high prevalence. In emergency departments it is often underdetected and undertreated. It is important to be informed about the prevalence of this disorder in emergency departments in Bogotá. Objective: To determine the prevalence of clinically significant depressive symptoms in the last week among adult patients visiting the emergency department (ED) with non-psychiatric complaints, in a teaching hospital in Bogotá. Method: Cross-sectional study in adult patients who visit the ED. Data collected included sociodemographical data, chief complaint, diagnosis, and results of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Results: Of the 470 patients visiting the ED, 27.7% had clinically significant depressive symptoms. The presence of depressive symptoms was associated with female sex, low education level, visits to the ED in the afternoon, and the diagnosis of a central nervous system disease. Conclusions: This study identified a high frequency of clinically significant depressive symptoms among ED patients in Bogotá. More studies are needed to determine risk factors associated to this disorder in this kind of population.

Keywords : Depression.

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