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The 'Usual Care' of Depression Is Not 'Good Enough'
Edmund S. Higgins, MD
Arch Fam Med. 1997;6(4):340-341.
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| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
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MENTAL ILLNESS in primary care settings is costly, disabling, highly prevalent, and treatable.1 Unfortunately, studies have shown that primary care physicians fail to recognize many patients with psychiatric disorders and frequently fail to treat adequately those they do.2 Efforts to increase the recognition of mental illness by primary care physicians have not resulted in improved outcomes for the patients.3 Because of this, interest has shifted away from improving recognition toward improving the intensity of psychiatric care provided by primary care physicians.4 For example, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville, Md, has chosen depression as one of the first areas for the development of clinical practice guidelines.5
See also page 334
Findings from the study by Schulberg et al6 further support the belief that intensive treatment of patients with major depression who are seen in primary care settings will result in better
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
Author Affiliations
Department of Family Medicine Medical University of South Carolina 171 Ashley Ave Charleston, SC 29425
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