3 research outputs found
Suicidality in primary care patients who present with sadness and anhedonia: a prospective European study
Background: Sadness and anhedonia (loss of interest in activities) are central symptoms of major depression.
However, not all people with these symptoms meet diagnostic criteria for major depression. We aimed to assess
the importance of suicidality in the outcomes for primary care patients who present with sadness and anhedonia.
Method: Cohort study of 2,599 unselected primary care attenders in six European countries followed up at 6 and
12 months.
Results: 1) In patients with sadness and/or anhedonia who were not depressed at entry to the study, suicide plans
(OR = 3.05; 95 % CI = 1.50–6.24; p = 0.0022) and suicide attempts (OR = 9.08; 95 % CI = 2.57–32.03; p = 0.0006) were
significant predictors of developing new onset depression at 6 or 12 months. 2) In patients with sadness and/or
anhedonia who met CIDI criteria for major depression at entry, suicidal ideation (OR = 2.93; 95 % CI = 1.70–5.07;
p = 0.0001), suicide plans (OR = 3.70; 95 % CI = 2.08–6.57; p < 0.0001), and suicide attempts (OR = 3.33; 95 %
CI = 1.47–7.54; p = 0.0040) were significant predictors of persistent depression at 6 or 12 months.
Conclusions: Three questions on suicidality could help primary care professionals to assess such patients more closely
without necessarily establishing whether they meet criteria for major depression.This research was funded by a grant from The European Commission,
referencePREDICT-QL4-CT2002-00683. We are also grateful for part support in
Europe from: the Estonian Scientific Foundation (grant number 5696); the
Slovenian Ministry for Research (grant No.4369-1027); the Spanish Ministry of
Health (grant FIS references: PI041980, PI041771, PI042450) and the Spanish
Network of Primary Care Research, redIAPP (ISCIII-RETICS RD06/0018) and
SAMSERAP group; and the UK NHS Research and Development office for
providing service support costs in the UK. We are also grateful for the support
from the University of Malaga (Spain) and to Carlos García from Loyola
Andalucía University (Spain)