[The prevalence of depression and anxiety in gastrointestinal out-patients of tertiary general hospitals in Beijing].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prevalence and physician's recognition of depression and anxiety disorder in gastrointestinal out-patients of three tertiary general hospitals in Beijing. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in the gastrointestinal out-patient departments of three tertiary general hospitals in Beijing from May to June 2007. Total 517 subjects were recruited consecutively within a one month period. All the subjects were screened with Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS). The subjects with HADS score of 8 and over were interviewed and diagnosed by psychiatrists using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). The physicians made the diagnosis and management without knowing the results of MINI and HADS score. RESULTS: Among the 517 cases, 301 had a HADS score of 8 and above and 244 were interviewed by psychiatrists; the response rate was 81.1%. The prevalence according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth edition of depressive disorders and anxiety disorders in gastrointestinal outpatients were 15.3%, depressive disorders were 12.0%, anxiety disorders were 6.4%, depression combined anxiety disorder was 3.0%. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, depression combined anxiety were not different between genders (chi2=0.874, chi2=1.797, chi2=0.518, P>0.05) and among different age group (18-34, 35-54, >or=55 years old) (chi2=1.084, chi2=2.735, chi2=0.350, P>0.05). Gastritis and gastrointestinal dysfunction were the major diagnoses in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders, the rates were 30.6% and 26.4% respectively. The rate of identification of depression and anxiety disorder by physicians was 2.8%. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal out-patients have a high prevalence of depression and anxiety disorder and the rate of identification by physicians was very low.