Prevalence of Depression in Medical Patients admitted in a general hospital

ABSTRACT Many medical patients is general hospital suffer from depression and it seems that depression correlated with longer hospital stay, so correct diagnosis of depression and early pshychiatric consultation are important matter of cocern. In this research prevalence of depression and psychiatric consultation for depressed patients were studied in one of three general hospital of Kerman University of Medical Sciences. 508 medical in patients who stayed at least one week in hospital were studied by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), also their demographic factors such as sex, age and hospital ward were studied. After discharge depressed patient's charts were reviewed to see if psychiatric consultation was done or not. Prevalence of depression was 59/1% and prevalence of depression in women's internal ward was higher than other wards (X2= 19/79, P= 0/0049). prevalence of depression was higher in signles and women than married and men respectively. Psychiatric consultation, were requested for only 25 depressed patients (% 8/3). Incomplete knewledge about effect of deppression in medical disorder's course and absence of psychiatric ward in general hospitals may explanatory.