ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Depression is a common disease, yet it is not commonly studied in the Emergency Medicine literature. STUDY OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of emergency department (ED) patients who have the symptoms of depression. DESIGN: This was a prospective observational study performed at two EDs over a 9-month period. Adult patients were screened for depression symptoms by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4(th) edition criteria. RESULTS: There were 505 patients screened from April through December, 2004. Of the 505 patients, 109 (21.6%) screened positive for the symptoms of depression. The prevalence of positive screens was similar at each ED. CONCLUSION: About 1 in 5 ED patients may be suffering with depression.