Five Top Symptoms Of Depression

“In a health care system in which primary care physicians [and emergency physicians] increasingly act as gatekeepers to other services, recognition of depressive symptoms may be critical in order for a patient to gain access to professional mental health care,” write Cheryl Carmin, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and John Klocek, PhD, of the University of Montana . In the Fall 1998 issue of The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, these researchers reported findings after screening over 350 consecutive patient visits to a university-based family practice clinic. Their goal was to determine the extent and level of depression in a clinic patient population. Almost 16% were reported to have significant symptoms for depression (based on the use of (the Beck Depression Inventory).
Most typically reported (in over 90%) were the following five symptoms:

• Less enjoyment from usual activities

• Disappointment with self

• Hopelessness

• Irritability

• Difficulty sleeping

Return to the ACUTE CARE home page