Wayne Katon

Clinical and health services relationships between major depression, depressive symptoms, and general medical illness

Patients with chronic medical illness have a high prevalence of major depressive illness. Major depression may decrease the ability to habituate to the aversive symptoms of chronic medical illness, such as pain. The progressive decrements in function associated with many chronic medical illnesses may cause depression, and depression is associated with additive functional impairment. Depression is also associated with an approximately 50% increase in medical costs of chronic medical illness, even after controlling for severity of physical illness. Increasing evidence suggests that both depressive symptoms and major depression may be associated with increased morbidity and mortality from such illnesses as diabetes and heart disease. The adverse effect of major depression on health habits, such as smoking, diet, over-eating, and sedentary lifestyle, its maladaptive effect on adherence to medical regimens, as well as direct adverse physiologic effects (i.e., decreased heart rate variability, increased adhesiveness of platelets) may explain this association with increased morbidity and mortality.

Mood Disorders in the Medically Ill: Scientific Review and Recommendations

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this review is to assess the relationship between mood disorders and development, course, and associated morbidity and mortality of selected medical illnesses, review evidence for treatment, and determine needs in clinical practice and research. DATA SOURCES Data were culled from the 2002 Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Conference proceedings and a literature review addressing prevalence, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. This review also considered the experience of primary and specialty care providers, policy analysts, and patient advocates. The review and recommendations reflect the expert opinion of the authors. STUDY SELECTION/DATA EXTRACTION Reviews of epidemiology and mechanistic studies were included, as were open-label and randomized, controlled trials on treatment of depression in patients with medical comorbidities. Data on study design, population, and results were extracted for review of evidence that includes tables of prevalence and pharmacological treatment. The effect of depression and bipolar disorder on selected medical comorbidities was assessed, and recommendations for practice, research, and policy were developed. CONCLUSIONS A growing body of evidence suggests that biological mechanisms underlie a bidirectional link between mood disorders and many medical illnesses. In addition, there is evidence to suggest that mood disorders affect the course of medical illnesses. Further prospective studies are warranted.

Epidemiology of Depression in Primary Care

Major depressive disorder has been recently found to be associated with high medical utilization and more functional impairment than most chronic medical illnesses. Major depression is a common illness among persons in the community, in ambulatory medical clinics, and in inpatient medical care. Studies have estimated that major depression occurs in 2%-4% of persons in the community, in 5%-10% of primary care patients, and 10%-14% of medical inpatients. In each setting there are two to three times as many persons with depressive symptoms that fall short of major depression criteria. Recent studies have found that in one-third to one-half of patients with major depression, the symptoms persist over a 6-month to one-year period. The majority of longitudinal studies have determined that severity of initial depressive symptoms and the presence of a comorbid medical illness were predictors of persistence of depression.

Adequacy and duration of antidepressant treatment in primary care.

Among a sample of 119 distressed high-utilizers of primary care, 45% of patients evaluated by a psychiatrist as needing antidepressant treatment had been treated in the year before the examination. However, only 11% of the patients needing antidepressants had received adequate dosage and duration of pharmacotherapy. In the year following the intervention, study patients whose physicians were advised regarding treatment during a psychiatric consultation were more likely to receive antidepressant medications (52.7%) relative to a randomized control group (36.1%). However, the intervention did not significantly increase the provision of adequate antidepressant therapy (37.1% vs 27.9%). Among study patients using antidepressants, patient characteristics did not differentiate patients who received adequate dosage and duration of antidepressant medications from those who did not. Analysis of data on the duration of antidepressant therapy for all health maintenance organization enrollees initiating use of antidepressants showed that only 20% of patients who had been given prescriptions for first-generation antidepressants (amitriptyline, imipramine, or doxepin) filled four or more prescriptions in the following six months, compared to 34% of patients who had prescriptions for newer antidepressants (nortriptyline, desipramine, trazodone and fluoxetine). Experimental research evaluating whether these newer medications (with more favorable side effect profiles) improve adherence, and thereby patient outcome, is needed.

Distressed high utilizers of medical care ☆: DSM-III-R diagnoses and treatment needs

Among a sample of 767 high utilizers of health care, 51% were identified as distressed by an elevated score on the SCL anxiety and depression scales, the SCL somatization scale, or by their primary-care physician. These distressed high utilizers were found to have a high prevalence of chronic medical problems and significant limitation of activities caused by illness. In the prior year, they made an average of 15 medical visits and 15 telephone calls to the clinic. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule was completed on 119 distressed high utilizers randomly assigned to an intervention group in a controlled trial of psychiatric consultation. The following DSM-III-R disorders were most common: major depression 23.5%, dysthymic disorder 16.8%, generalized anxiety disorder 21.8%, and somatization disorder 20.2%. Two thirds had a lifetime history of major depression. The examination resulted in an improved diagnostic assessment for 40% of intervention patients and a revised treatment plan for 67%.

Adult health status of women with histories of childhood abuse and neglect

PURPOSE Several recent studies have found associations between childhood maltreatment and adverse adult health outcomes. However, methodologic problems with accurate case determination, appropriate sample selection, and predominant focus on sexual abuse have limited the generalizability of these findings. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We administered a survey to 1,225 women who were randomly selected from the membership of a large, staff model health maintenance organization in Seattle, Washington. We compared women with and without histories of childhood maltreatment experiences with respect to differences in physical health status, functional disability, numbers and types of self-reported health risk behaviors, common physical symptoms, and physician-coded ICD-9 diagnoses. RESULTS A history of childhood maltreatment was significantly associated with several adverse physical health outcomes. Maltreatment status was associated with perceived poorer overall health (ES = 0.31), greater physical (ES = 0.23) and emotional (ES = 0.37) functional disability, increased numbers of distressing physical symptoms (ES = 0.52), and a greater number of health risk behaviors (ES = 0.34). Women with multiple types of maltreatment showed the greatest health decrements for both self-reported symptoms (r = 0.31) and physician coded diagnoses (r = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS Women with childhood maltreatment have a wide range of adverse physical health outcomes.

Anxiety disorders and comorbid medical illness

OBJECTIVE To provide an overview of the role of anxiety disorders in medical illness. METHOD The Anxiety Disorders Association of America held a multidisciplinary conference from which conference leaders and speakers reviewed presentations and discussions, considered literature on prevalence, comorbidity, etiology and treatment, and made recommendations for research. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), asthma, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and chronic pain were reviewed. RESULTS A substantial literature supports clinically important associations between psychiatric illness and chronic medical conditions. Most research focuses on depression, finding that depression can adversely affect self-care and increase the risk of incident medical illness, complications and mortality. Anxiety disorders are less well studied, but robust epidemiological and clinical evidence shows that anxiety disorders play an equally important role. Biological theories of the interactions between anxiety and IBS, CVD and chronic pain are presented. Available data suggest that anxiety disorders in medically ill patients should not be ignored and could be considered conjointly with depression when developing strategies for screening and intervention, particularly in primary care. CONCLUSIONS Emerging data offer a strong argument for the role of anxiety in medical illness and suggest that anxiety disorders rival depression in terms of risk, comorbidity and outcome. Research programs designed to advance our understanding of the impact of anxiety disorders on medical illness are needed to develop evidence-based approaches to improving patient care.

Depression and somatization: a review: Part I

Abstract The authors describe the relationship between the major depressive disorder and somatization. A literature review documenting the incidence and prevalence of depression in primary care and the rate of misdiagnosis is presented. Evidence is collated that points to several factors in misdiagnosis. The patient often selectively complains about the somatic manifestations of depression, minimizes the affective and cognitive components and is treated symptomatically. This is due to the physicians lack of recognition that the patient may have major depressive disorder and yet not recognize and report the mood component. The authors develop a conceptual model that elucidates the mechanism behind the selective perception and focus by the patient on the somatic manifestations of depression. In this first part, the influence of sociocultural and childhood experience on the ability of the patient to recognize and report mood changes is delineated. Understanding this model is crucial in preventing misdiagnosis and potential iatrogenic harm to the patient.

The relationship of depressive symptoms to symptom reporting, self-care and glucose control in diabetes.

Depressive symptoms are common among patients with diabetes and may have a significant impact on self-management and health outcomes. In this study we predicted that: 1) there would be a significant association between depressive symptoms and diabetes symptom burden, physical functioning, diabetes self-care, and HbA1c levels; and, 2) that the association between depressive symptoms and HbA1c levels would be significantly greater in type 1, as compared to type 2 diabetic patients. This cross-sectional observational study of 276 type 1 and 199 type 2 diabetes patients took place in a tertiary care specialty clinic. We collected self-reported data on depressive symptoms, complications, medical comorbidity, diabetes symptoms, diabetes self-care behaviors, physical functioning, and demographics. From automated data we determined mean HbA1c levels over the prior year. We performed linear regression analyses to assess the association between depressive symptoms and diabetes symptom perception, diabetes self-care behaviors, physical functioning, and glycemic control. Among patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes, depressive symptoms were associated with greater diabetes symptom reporting, poorer physical functioning, and less adherence to exercise regimens and diet. There was a significant association between depressive symptoms and HbA1c levels in type 1, but not type 2 diabetic patients. Because of their association with clinical aspects of diabetes care such as diabetes symptom reporting and adherence to diabetes self-care, depressive symptoms are important to recognize in treating patients with diabetes.

Chronic pelvic pain and gynecological symptoms in women with irritable bowel syndrome

Chronic pelvic pain and irritable bowel syndrome are common disorders, yet very little is known about their comorbidity. As part of an epidemiological study of patients with irritable bowel syndrome or irritable bowel disease we inquired about a history of chronic pelvic pain and related gynecological problems, and hypothesized that distress associated with either of these conditions was additive in women with both syndromes. A medically trained interviewer evaluated a sequential sample of 60 women with irritable bowel syndrome and 26 women with inflammatory bowel disease in an urban gastroenterology clinic using the National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule, the Briere Child Maltreatment Interview (emotional, physical and sexual abuse), and a structured interview to elicit a lifetime history of chronic pelvic pain that was distinct from the history of bowel distress. Chronic pelvic pain was reported in 21 (35.0%) of the irritable bowel syndrome patients vs. 4 (13.8%) of the inflammatory bowel disease group (p < 0.05). Compared to women with irritable bowel syndrome alone, those with both irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pelvic pain were significantly more likely to have a lifetime history of dysthymic disorder, current and lifetime panic disorder, somatization disorder, childhood sexual abuse and hysterectomy. Logistic regression showed that mean number of somatization symptoms was the best predictor of a history of both irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pelvic pain compared either to inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome alone. Many women with irritable bowel syndrome may have a history of chronic pelvic pain as well. The high rates of psychopathology associated with irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pelvic pain independently are even higher in women with both syndromes, and women who present with either irritable bowel syndrome or chronic pelvic pain should probably be evaluated for both disorders.