Depressive symptoms are often unrecognized in gynaecological practice

Pierre Buekens, P Buekens, Kees van Heeringen, K van Heeringen, Michel Boutsen, M Boutsen, Pascale Smekens, P Smekens, Pierre Mattellaer, P Mattellaer
European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology · 1998 · vol. 81(1) , pp. 43–45 · doi:10.1016/s0301-2115(98)00134-1 · PMID:9846712 · W2008425051
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A Belgian study of 2174 women revealed that gynecologists identified only 12% of depressive symptoms, whereas standardized scales detected them in 35%, highlighting a significant gap in clinical recognition within gynecological practice.

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Abstract

We performed a study on depressive symptoms in gynaecological practice in Belgium, identifying depressive symptoms according to both practitioners' opinions and the scores on a scale developed to detect depression in general medical settings. According to the 170 participating gynaecologists, 12% of the 2174 women they interviewed had symptoms of depression. However, 35% had two or more positive answers on the Depression Scale, and 19% had four or more positive answers. Our results suggest that depressive symptoms are often not identified in clinical gynaecological practice.

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MeSH descriptors

Depression Gynecology Adult Belgium Depression Female Humans Male Middle Aged Physician's Role

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