Depression in general practice.

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.