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Background: To study late-life depression and its unfavourable course and co morbidities in The Netherlands., Methods: We designed the Netherlands Study of Depression in Older Persons (NESDO), a multi-site naturalistic prospective cohort study which makes it possible to examine the determinants, the course and the consequences of depressive disorders in older persons over a period of six years, and to compare these with those of depression earlier in adulthood., Results: From 2007 until 2010, the NESDO consortium has recruited 510 depressed and non depressed older persons (≥ 60 years) at 5 locations throughout the Netherlands. Depressed persons were recruited from both mental health care institutes and general practices in order to include persons with late-life depression in various developmental and severity stages. Non-depressed persons were recruited from general practices. The baseline assessment included written questionnaires, interviews, a medical examination, cognitive tests and collection of blood and saliva samples. Information was gathered about mental health outcomes and demographic, psychosocial, biological, cognitive and genetic determinants. The baseline NESDO sample consists of 378 depressed (according to DSM-IV criteria) and 132 non-depressed persons aged 60 through 93 years. 95% had a major depression and 26.5% had dysthymia. Mean age of onset of the depressive disorder was around 49 year. For 33.1% of the depressed persons it was their first episode. 41.0% of the depressed persons had a co morbid anxiety disorder. Follow up assessments are currently going on with 6 monthly written questionnaires and face-to-face interviews after 2 and 6 years., Conclusions: The NESDO sample offers the opportunity to study the neurobiological, psychosocial and physical determinants of depression and its long-term course in older persons. Since largely similar measures were used as in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA; age range 18-65 years), data can be pooled thus creating a large longitudinal database of clinically depressed persons with adequate power and a large set of neurobiological, psychosocial and physical variables from both younger and older depressed persons.

Background: There is little evidence as to whether or not guideline concordant care in general practice results in better clinical outcomes for people with anxiety and depression. This study aims to determine possible associations between guideline concordant care and clinical outcomes in general practice patients with depression and anxiety, and identify patient and treatment characteristics associated with clinical improvement., Methods: This study forms part of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA).Adult patients, recruited in general practice (67 GPs), were interviewed to assess DSM-IV diagnoses during baseline assessment of NESDA, and also completed questionnaires measuring symptom severity, received care, socio-demographic variables and social support both at baseline and 12 months later. The definition of guideline adherence was based on an algorithm on care received. Information on guideline adherence was obtained from GP medical records., Results: 721 patients with a current (6-month recency) anxiety or depressive disorder participated. While patients who received guideline concordant care (N=281) suffered from more severe symptoms than patients who received non-guideline concordant care (N=440), both groups showed equal improvement in their depressive or anxiety symptoms after 12 months. Patients who (still) had moderate or severe symptoms at follow-up, were more often unemployed, had smaller personal networks and more severe depressive symptoms at baseline than patients with mild symptoms at follow-up. The particular type of treatment followed made no difference to clinical outcomes., Conclusion: The added value of guideline concordant care could not be demonstrated in this study. Symptom severity, employment status, social support and comorbidity of anxiety and depression all play a role in poor clinical outcomes.

Background: Previous estimates of depression recognition in primary care are low and inconsistent. This may be due to registration artifacts and limited extraction efforts. This study investigated a) whether GPs' medical records demonstrate an accurate recognition of depression and b) which combinations of indications within the record most accurately reflect a diagnosis of depression., Methods: GPs' registrations were compared with a reference standard, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), according to DSM-IV criteria. Six definitions of GPs' recognition of depression were tested using diagnostic codes, medication data, referral data and free text in the medical records. The Youden-index was used to select the optimal definition of recognition. Data were derived from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. 816 primary care patients from 33 general practitioners were included in the vicinities of Amsterdam and Leiden, The Netherlands., Results: Registration of antidepressant prescriptions was the best single indicator of GPs' recognition of CIDI depression with a recognition rate of 0.43. The best combination of indicators increased the recognition rate to 0.69. All indications except the specific diagnostic codes for 'depressive disorder' and 'depressive feelings' were included in this definition., Limitations: Potential bias due to the selection of participating GPs might have influenced our recognition rates., Conclusion: GPs are aware of mental health problems in most depressed patients, but labeling with specific diagnostic codes is weak. Researchers should consider that diagnostic coding alone is not an accurate measure of the diagnostic ability of depression and strongly underestimates the accuracy of the GP., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Mental health and cardiovascular disease have been associated, whereas the temporal course and underlying mechanisms are still incompletely understood. Our aims were to examine the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in subjects with depressive or anxiety disorder, also taking into account disorder characteristics (subtype, severity, duration, age of onset, medication)., Methods: The sample included 470 depression or anxiety cases and 179 controls, aged 20-66 years, participating in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). Diagnoses were assigned using the DSM-IV based Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and plaque information were obtained using B-mode ultrasound imaging., Results: Overall, depressive and anxiety disorders were not associated with carotid atherosclerosis. However, age of depression onset was associated with CIMT (total: 0.01 mm per 10 years, P = 0.01; bifurcation: 0.02 mm per 10 years, P = 0.003) and plaque presence (OR = 1.35 per 10 years, 95%CI = 1.02-1.80, P = 0.04). When compared with controls, late-onset (≥ 40 years) depressed had an increased CIMT in the atherosclerosis progression-prone bifurcation segment (0.75 vs. 0.81 mm, P = 0.004)., Conclusions: These findings suggest a distinct pathophysiology of late-onset as compared with early-onset depression, including a vascular component.

Background: Whether course trajectories of depressive and anxiety disorders are different, remains an important question for clinical practice and informs future psychiatric nosology. This longitudinal study compares depressive and anxiety disorders in terms of diagnostic and symptom course trajectories, and examines clinical prognostic factors., Methods: Data are from 1209 depressive and/or anxiety patients residing in primary and specialized care settings, participating in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. Diagnostic and Life Chart Interviews provided 2-year course information., Results: Course was more favorable for pure depression (n=267, median episode duration = 6 months, 24.5% chronic) than for pure anxiety (n=487, median duration = 16 months, 41.9% chronic). Worst course was observed in the comorbid depression-anxiety group (n=455, median duration > 24 months, 56.8% chronic). Independent predictors of poor diagnostic and symptom trajectory outcomes were severity and duration of index episode, comorbid depression-anxiety, earlier onset age and older age. With only these factors a reasonable discriminative ability (C-statistic 0.72-0.77) was reached in predicting 2-year prognosis., Limitation: Depression and anxiety cases concern prevalent - not incident - cases. This, however, reflects the actual patient population in primary and specialized care settings., Conclusions: Their differential course trajectory justifies separate consideration of pure depression, pure anxiety and comorbid anxiety-depression in clinical practice and psychiatric nosology., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: It is believed that timely recognition and diagnosis of dementia is a pre-condition for improving care for both older adults with dementia and their informal caregivers. However, diagnosing dementia often occurs late in the disease. This means that a significant number of patients with early symptoms of dementia and their informal caregivers may lack appropriate care., Objectives: To compare the effects of case management and usual care among community-dwelling older adults with early symptoms of dementia and their primary informal caregivers., Design: Randomized controlled trial with measurements at baseline and after 6 and 12 months., Setting: Primary care in West-Friesland, the Netherlands., Participants: 99 pairs of community-dwelling older adults with dementia symptoms (defined as abnormal screening for symptoms of dementia) and their primary informal caregivers., Intervention: 12 months of case management by district nurses for both older adults and informal caregivers versus usual care., Primary Outcome: informal caregiver's sense of competence., Secondary Outcomes: caregiver's quality of life, depressive symptoms, and burden, and patient's quality of life. Process measurements: intervention fidelity and caregiver's satisfaction with the quality of case management., Results: Linear mixed model analyses showed no statistically significant and clinically relevant differences over time between the two groups. The process evaluation revealed that intervention fidelity could have been better. Meanwhile, informal caregivers were satisfied with the quality of case management., Conclusion: This study shows no benefits of case management for older adults with dementia symptoms and their primary informal caregivers. One possible explanation is that case management, which has been recommended among diagnosed dementia patients, may not be beneficial if offered too early. However, on the other hand, it is possible that: (1) case management will be effective in this group if more fully implemented and adapted or aimed at informal caregivers who experience more severe distress and problems; (2) case management is beneficial but that it is not seen in the timeframe studied; (3) case management might have undetected small benefits. This has to be established. Trial registration ISCRTN83135728., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Training in and assessment of consultation skills are high on the agenda of vocational training institutes for postgraduate training. There is a need to establish valid and reliable instruments to assess consultation skills in authentic settings. We investigated the number of assessors and observations needed to achieve reliable assessments of the consultation skills of general practice trainees (GPTs) using a communication instrument (MAAS-Global) and either standardised patient (SP) encounters or videotaped real patient (RP) encounters., Methods: Eight teachers at the Vrije Universiteit (VU) University Medical Centre in Amsterdam attended a training course on the use of the MAAS-Global instrument, which they subsequently used to assess the consultation skills of 53 GPTs in 176 videotaped consultations (102 with SPs, 74 with RPs). All consultations were randomly allocated and assessed by two teachers independently. The reliability of the ratings was estimated using generalisability theory., Results: It was easier to obtain acceptable reliability using RP consultations than SP consultations. Two assessors and five consultations were required to achieve minimal reliability (generalisability coefficient 0.7) with RPs, whereas three assessors and 30 consultations were needed to achieve minimal reliability with SPs., Conclusions: Inter-observer and context variability in the assessment of the consultation skills of GPTs remains high. To achieve acceptable levels of reliability, large samples of observations are required in both formats, but, interestingly, RP encounters require a smaller sample than SP encounters., (© Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011.)

Background: Arterial stiffness gains attention as a potential mechanism underlying the frequently found association between depression or anxiety and cardiovascular disease. However, observations regarding stiffness and psychopathology were often based on small samples. The current study aimed to examine whether subjects with a diagnosis of depressive or anxiety disorder showed increased stiffness and to explore associations between various psychiatric characteristics and arterial stiffness., Methods: The sample included 449 cases with DSM-IV based lifetime diagnoses of depressive and/or anxiety disorder and 169 control subjects. Subjects were participating in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety and were aged 20 to 66 years. Characteristics included comorbidity, subtype of disorder, symptom severity and duration, age of onset, and use of antidepressant medication. Arterial stiffness was measured by calibrated radial tonometry (heart rate normalized central augmentation index [AIx75]; in percentage) and carotid M-mode ultrasound (distensibility coefficient)., Results: After adjustment for covariates, AIx75 was increased in current (1-month) depression or anxiety (15.7% vs. 13.3% in control subjects, p = .01). Disorder characteristics associated with AIx75 were depression and anxiety comorbidity (15.3%, p = .02), higher depression severity (β = .10, p < .001) and anxiety severity (β = .10, p < .001), and longer symptom duration (β = .07, p = .01). No significant associations were found between distensibility coefficient and psychopathology., Conclusions: Current depressive or anxiety disorders were associated with a higher central augmentation index, a manifestation of early wave reflection because of arterial stiffness. Exposure to depression and anxiety may therefore enhance the development and progression of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular conditions., (Copyright © 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Depressive symptoms are common among elderly primary care patients, and because they encounter considerable barriers in seeking help and they often resist referral to specialized mental health facilities, it is important to look for easily accessible interventions within the primary care setting. Bibliotherapy, which has been found to be effective among younger populations, might be an attractive option. In this study, the authors investigated the effectiveness of bibliotherapy for depressive symptomatology in very old adults., Design: Randomized controlled trial. After a 3-month period of "watchful waiting," the participants were randomly assigned to a bibliotherapy group or a usual care group., Setting: Thirty-three general practices in the north-western region of the Netherlands., Participants: One hundred seventy community-dwelling adults, aged 75 and older, with subthreshold depression., Intervention: The bibliotherapy intervention consisted of an information leaflet and a self-help manual "Coping with Depression" adapted for the elderly., Measurements: Outcome measures after 3 months were a) change in depressive symptoms according to the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and b) the proportion of participants who scored a significant improvement on the CES-D., Results: One hundred forty-six (85.9%) of the 170 participants completed the baseline and follow-up measurements. The authors did not find any clinically relevant and statistically significant differences between the intervention group and the control group in the severity of the depressive symptoms., Conclusion: Bibliotherapy as a stand-alone intervention for the elderly (aged 75 years and older) did not reduce depressive symptoms more than usual care. This might indicate that bibliotherapy can only be effective for patients who are motivated and acknowledge their depression.

Objective: To evaluate care received for anxiety and depression, to identify which patient-, GP- and practice factors obstruct delivery of care in accordance with Dutch College of General Practitioners' (NHG) practice guidelines, and to evaluate the costs and effects of guideline-concordant care., Design: Descriptive study., Methods: During the baseline assessment of the Netherlands study of depression and anxiety--which has followed a large number of adults with and without psychiatric complaints since 2004--various questionnaires and diagnostic interviews were completed. At one year follow-up, the severity of symptoms of anxiety and depression, overall functioning or dysfunction, healthcare use and absenteeism from employment over the past year were assessed. Data from electronic medical patient records were studied to determine whether NHG practice guidelines had been followed., Results: Of the 721 patients with an anxiety or depressive disorder, 57% (n = 413) indicated receiving some form of care; two-thirds of this group received appropriate care according to NHG practice guidelines (n = 281). At patient level the severity of depressive symptoms, the self-evaluated need for care, a high level of education and accessibility of care were most strongly associated with guideline adherence; at general practitioner level, collaboration with other mental health professionals was most strongly associated with guideline adherence. On average, all patients had symptoms that were less serious than a year previously, irrespective of which care they had received. Guideline-concordant care was significantly more expensive., Conclusion: Half of the patients who had not received care did not think that they needed it. Of those who had received care, those with more severe symptoms and greatest need for care were most likely to have received guideline-concordant care. Both patients and general practitioners seemed well able to assess whether care was needed or not.

Objectives: Clinically relevant depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in people who are 75 years of age or older. However, very old people with a vulnerable health status are under-represented in studies focussing on incidence and risk factors, while the risk of developing depressive symptoms is expected to be very high in this group. The incidence rates of clinically relevant depressive symptoms and their predictors were investigated in a vulnerable elderly population., Methods: In a community-based cohort, 651 vulnerable elderly (75+) people were identified by means of the COOP-WONCA charts (Dartmouth Coop Functional Health Assessment Charts/World Organisation of Family Doctors). To study the incidence of clinically relevant symptoms of depression and their predictors, 266 people with no symptoms (Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, CES-D score <16 at baseline) were selected and measured again at six and 18 months. The incidence of clinically relevant symptoms of depression was defined as a CES-D score > or =16, in combination with at least a five-point change between measurements. Logistic regression analyses were applied to determine risk indicators., Results: After 18 months, the incidence rate of all clinically relevant symptoms of depression was 48% (95% confidence interval, CI 44.2-51.8). No specific risk factors were identified within this population., Conclusion: Our estimates of the incidence of depressive symptoms were considerably higher than those previously found in elderly populations living in the community. A vulnerable health status is associated with a high risk of depressive symptoms.

Objective: Current evidence regarding the association between psychopathology and subclinical atherosclerosis show inconsistent results. The present study examined whether subclinical atherosclerosis was more prevalent in a large cohort of persons with depressive or anxiety disorders as compared to non-depressed and non-anxious controls., Methods: Baseline data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety were used, including 2717 persons, free of clinical cardiovascular disease. Participants had a DSM-IV-based current or remitted depressive (major depressive disorder, dysthymia) or anxiety (social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia) disorder (n=2115) or were healthy controls (n=602). Additional clinical characteristics (severity, duration, age of onset and medication) were assessed. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) was used as a measure of vascular risk and was categorized as low (1.40), which was previously designated as a cardiovascular risk factor, reflecting arterial stiffness and wall calcification., Results: As compared to normal controls, persons with current (i.e., past year) depressive, anxiety or comorbid depressive and anxiety disorders showed a two- to threefold increased odds of low ABI (OR=2.78, 95% CI=1.05-7.35; OR=3.14, 95% CI=1.25-7.85; OR=2.67, 95% CI=1.09-6.51, respectively). No associations were found with mildly low or high ABI. Also, we did not further find a differential role for symptoms severity, duration, age of onset, and use of psychotropic medication in the link between psychopathology and subclinical atherosclerosis., Conclusion: Persons with current depressive or anxiety disorders were more likely to have subclinical atherosclerosis compared to healthy controls., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify associations of patient characteristics (predisposing, enabling and need factors) with guideline-concordant care for anxiety and depression in primary care., Design: Analysis of data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA)., Participants: Seven hundred and twenty-one patients with a current anxiety or depressive disorder, recruited from 67 general practitioners (GPs), were included., Measures: Diagnoses according to the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) were made using a structured and widely validated assessment. Socio-demographic and enabling characteristics, severity of symptoms, disability, (under treatment for) chronic somatic conditions, perceived need for care, beliefs and evaluations of care were measured by questionnaires. Actual care data were derived from electronic medical records. Criteria for guideline-concordant care were based on general practice guidelines, issued by the Dutch College of General Practitioners., Results: Two hundred and eighty-one (39%) patients received guideline-concordant care. High education level, accessibility of care, comorbidity of anxiety and depression, and severity and disability scores were positively associated with receiving guideline-concordant care in univariate analyses. In multivariate multi-level logistic regression models, significant associations with the clinical need factors disappeared. Positive evaluations of accessibility of care increased the chance (OR = 1.31; 95%-CI = 1.05-1.65; p = 0.02) of receiving guideline-concordant care, as well as perceiving any need for medication (OR = 2.99; 95%-CI = 1.84-4.85; p < 0.001), counseling (OR = 2.25; 95%-CI = 1.29-3.95; p = 0.005) or a referral (OR = 1.83; 95%-CI = 1.09-3.09; p = 0.02). A low educational level decreased the odds (OR = 0.33; 95%-CI = 0.11-0.98; p = 0.04) of receiving guideline-concordant care., Conclusions: This study shows that education level, accessibility of care and patients' perceived needs for care are more strongly associated with the delivery of guideline-concordant care for anxiety or depression than clinical need factors. Initiatives to improve GPs' communication skills around mental health issues, and to improve recognition of people suffering from anxiety disorders, could increase the number of patients receiving treatment for depression and anxiety in primary care.

Objective: Can indicative prevention of home-visiting nurses be effective when targeted at a frail senior population using multidimensional geriatric assessments and personalized care plans?, Methods: We performed an individually randomized controlled trial in 33 blinded primary care practices over 18 months. The 651 participants were aged 75 years or older, lived at home, and were frail but neither terminally ill nor demented. A score in the lowest quartile on at least two of six self-reported functional health domains (COOP-WONCA charts), defined frail health. We compared usual care with proactive home visits by trained community nurses. The nurses (a) assessed the care needs with a multidimensional computerized geriatric instrument, which enabled direct identification of health risks; (b) determined care priorities together with the person; (c) designed and executed individually tailored interventions; and (d) monitored participants by telephone and on average three home visits. Primary outcome measures were functional health and instrumental activities of daily living disability. Secondary outcomes were acute hospital admittance (time until), institutionalization, and mortality., Results: We found no significant differences between intervention and usual care group on any of the outcome measures. Predefined subgroup analyses revealed a higher risk of hospital admission for persons with poor health in the intervention group., Conclusions: We could not demonstrate preventive effects of home visits by nurses in vulnerable older persons. Hospital admissions increased in the frailest group. The search for effective interventions for vulnerable persons requires further investigation. Future efforts may focus on improved integrated approaches.

Objective: Although community-based studies reported an increased incidence of depression among demented persons compared with non-demented persons, it is not clear whether this relationship also exists among institutionalised elderly persons. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of diagnosed depressive disorders and mood symptoms between demented and non-demented residents living in Dutch homes for the elderly., Methods: Cross-sectional analysis in 16 homes for the elderly of routine outcome measurements by trained nurse assistants using the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) between January 2007 and April 2008. Nurse assistants recorded all known medical diagnoses including dementia and depression, as well as a structured observation of the presence or absence of 11 mood symptoms over the last 3 days., Results: 313 demented and 463 non-demented residents with complete data were included (99% of all residents, mean age 84 years). 24.6% of participants were diagnosed with a depressive disorder, with no statistically significant difference between demented and non-demented persons (p = 0.237). Mood symptoms were more prevalent in demented residents (p < 0.001, OR 2.14, 95%CI 1.56-2.93). Among residents with mood symptoms, demented residents were less likely to be diagnosed with a depressive disorder than non-demented residents (p = 0.039, OR 0.61, 95%CI 0.38-0.98)., Conclusions: The prevalence of diagnosed depressive disorders was comparable between demented and non-demented residents. However, demented residents suffered more from mood symptoms and may be at risk of under-diagnosis of depression., ((c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Objective: Psychiatric consultation in primary care is meant to enhance and improve treatment for mental disorder in that setting. An estimate of the effect for different conditions as well as identification of particularly effective elements is needed., Methods: Database search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on psychiatric consultation in primary care. Validity assessment and data extraction according to Cochrane criteria were performed by independent assessors in duplicate. Meta-analysis was performed., Results: Data were collected from 10 RCTs with a total of 3408 included patients with somatoform disorder or depressive disorder, which compared psychiatric consultation to care as usual (CAU). Meta-analysis irrespective of condition showed a weighted mean indicating a combined assessment of illness burden as outcome of psychiatric consultation, compared to CAU, of 0.313 (95% CI 0.190-0.437). The effect was especially large in somatoform disorder (0.614; 95% CI 0.206-1.022). RCTs in which after the consult, consultation advice was given by means of a consultation letter, showed a combined weighted mean effect size of 0.561 (95% CI 0.337-0.786), while studies not using such a letter showed a small effect of 0.210 (95% CI 0.102-0.319). Effects are highest on utilization of health care services with 0.507 (95% CI 0.305-0.708)., Conclusion: Psychiatric consultation in the primary care setting is effective in patients with somatoform and depressive disorder. Largest effects are seen in reduction of utilization of health care services., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The prognosis of depression greatly varies among patients, and the physical symptoms that often accompany depression may predict treatment resistance and a worse outcome. If so, this may have important clinical implications. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the association of concomitant physical symptoms with the outcome of major depressive disorder (MDD)., Methods: Systematic review: Medline, Psychinfo, and the Cochrane Library were searched for prospective, cross-sectional, and retrospective studies, and also for open-label trials and randomized controlled trials. The risk of bias assessment and data extraction were performed in duplicate. A qualitative best-evidence synthesis was performed, based on the number of studies reporting on the association between physical symptoms and the course of MDD, the consistency of the results, and the methodological quality. The findings were reported according to the PRISMA guidelines., Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Although the design, outcome measures, and data presentation varied too much to make statistical pooling possible, the best evidence synthesis resulted in strong, consistent evidence for a negative association between physical symptoms and the course of MDD., Conclusion: This systematic review shows a negative association of concomitant physical symptoms with the course of MDD. The effect might be considerable, but the number of studies addressing this topic is small and there was a wide variation in the study designs and outcome measures. More research is needed., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the effects of a brief patient-stress management training on the performance of general practitioners (GPs)., Methods: After training in the Minimal Intervention for Stress-related mental disorders with Sick leave (MISS), the performance of 24 GPs was compared with the usual care provided by 22 GPs. Outcome measures in this intervention were: assignment of a diagnosis, taking an activating approach and monitoring the symptoms., Results: Twenty-three GPs completed the training. Outcomes showed that the training added to a psychosocial diagnosis. Other skills (using a questionnaire to make a diagnosis, handing out information leaflets and monitoring the symptoms) were to some extent improved by the training., Conclusion: The result indicates limited adherence of GPs to the MISS. Only a few components of the training were actually applied after the training, and there is still ample room for improvement., Practice Implications: More than the current 11h of training are probably needed to change the behaviour of GPs in general. Within educational programmes more attention should be given to the implementation of new behaviour, particularly when it concerns the treatment of patients with stress-related problems., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The effectiveness of collaborative care for patients with major depressive disorder in primary care has been established. Assessing its cost-effectiveness is important for deciding on implementation. This review therefore evaluates the cost-effectiveness of collaborative care for major depressive disorder in primary care., Methods: A systematic search on economic evaluations of collaborative care was conducted in Pubmed and PsychInfo. Quality of the studies was measured with the Cochrane checklist and the CHEC-list for economic evaluations. Cost-effectiveness and costs per depression-free days were reported., Results: 8 studies were found, involving 4868 patients. The quality of the cost effectiveness studies, according to the CHEC-list, could be improved. Generally, the studies did not include all relevant costs and did not perform sensitivity analysis. Only 4 out of 8 studies reported cost per QALY, 6 out of 8 reported costs per depression-free days. The highest costs per QALY reported were $49,500, the highest costs per depression-free day were $24., Conclusions: Although studies did not fulfil all criteria of the CHEC-list, collaborative care is a promising intervention and it may be cost-effective. However, to conclude on the cost-effectiveness, depression research should follow economic guidelines to improve the quality of the economic evaluations.

Chronic and prevalent conditions such as depression need a different, more integrated approach than acute disorders. The treatment of chronic disorders can be best organized within a chronic care model, focusing on self-management by the patient and continuous monitoring of symptoms. The collaborative care model is a promising treatment model for depression. The added value of this model lies in a care manager supporting the general practitioner, the structured monitoring of symptoms and easy access to a consultant psychiatrist. In the Dutch situation, the collaborative care model may be a reinforcement of the primary care treatment for depression while in specialized mental health care, this model may reinforce collaboration with primary care colleagues.

Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders often go unrecognized in distressed primary care patients, despite the overtly psychosocial nature of their demand for help. This is especially problematic in more severe disorders needing specific treatment (e.g. antidepressant pharmacotherapy or specialized cognitive behavioural therapy). The use of a screening tool to detect (more severe) depressive and anxiety disorders may be useful not to overlook such disorders. We examined the accuracy with which the Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) are able to detect (more severe) depressive and anxiety disorders in distressed patients, and which cut-off points should be used., Methods: Seventy general practitioners (GPs) included 295 patients on sick leave due to psychological problems. They excluded patients with recognized depressive or anxiety disorders. Patients completed the 4DSQ and HADS. Standardized diagnoses of DSM-IV defined depressive and anxiety disorders were established with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to obtain sensitivity and specificity values for a range of scores, and area under the curve (AUC) values as a measure of diagnostic accuracy., Results: With respect to the detection of any depressive or anxiety disorder (180 patients, 61%), the 4DSQ and HADS scales yielded comparable results with AUC values between 0.745 and 0.815. Also with respect to the detection of moderate or severe depressive disorder, the 4DSQ and HADS depression scales performed comparably (AUC 0.780 and 0.739, p 0.165). With respect to the detection of panic disorder, agoraphobia and social phobia, the 4DSQ anxiety scale performed significantly better than the HADS anxiety scale (AUC 0.852 versus 0.757, p 0.001). The recommended cut-off points of both HADS scales appeared to be too low while those of the 4DSQ anxiety scale appeared to be too high., Conclusion: In general practice patients on sick leave because of psychological problems, the 4DSQ and the HADS are equally able to detect depressive and anxiety disorders. However, for the detection of cases severe enough to warrant specific treatment, the 4DSQ may have some advantages over the HADS, specifically for the detection of panic disorder, agoraphobia and social phobia.

Objective: A focus on the communicator competency is considered to be an important requirement to help physicians to acquire consultation skills. A feedback questionnaire, in which patients assess consultation skills might be a useful learning tool. An existing questionnaire on patient perception of patient-centeredness (PPPC) was adapted to cover the 'communicator' items in the competency profile. We assessed the face and content validity, the construct validity and the internal consistency of this new patient feedback on consultation skills (PFC) questionnaire., Methods: We assessed the face validity of the PFC by interviewing patients and general practice trainees (GPTs) during the developmental process. The content validity was determined by experts (n=10). First-year GPTs (23) collected 222 PFCs, from which the data were used to assess the construct validity (factor analysis), internal consistency, response rates and ceiling effects., Results: The PFC adequately covers the corresponding 'communicator' competency (face and content validity). Factor analysis showed a one-dimensional construct. The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha 0.89). For the single items, the response rate varied from 89.2% to 100%; the maximum score (ceiling effect) varied from 45.5% to 89.2%., Conclusion: The PFC appears to be a valid, internally consistent instrument., Practical Implications: The PFC may be a valuable learning tool with which GPTs, other physicians and medical students can acquire feedback from patients regarding their consultation skills.

Background: In the Depression Initiative, a promising collaborative care model for depression that was developed in the US was adapted for implementation in the Netherlands., Aim: Description of a collaborative care model for major depressive disorder (MDD) and of the factors influencing its implementation in the primary care setting in the Netherlands., Data Sources: Data collected during the preparation phase of the CC:DIP trial of the Depression Initiative, literature, policy documents, information sheets from professional associations., Results: Factors facilitating the implementation of the collaborative care model are continuous supervision of the care managers by the consultant psychiatrist and the trainers, a supportive web-based tracking system and the new reimbursement system that allows for introduction of a mental health care-practice nurse (MHC-PN) in the general practices and coverage of the treatment costs. Impeding factors might be the relatively high percentage of solo-primary care practices, the small percentage of professionals that are located in the same building, unfamiliarity with the concept of collaboration as required for collaborative care, the reimbursement system that demands regular negotiations between each health care provider and the insurance companies and the reluctance general practitioners might feel to expand their responsibility for their depressed patients., Conclusion: Implementation of the collaborative care model in the Netherlands requires extensive training and supervision on micro level, facilitation of reimbursement on meso- and macro level and structural effort to change the treatment culture for chronic mental disorders in the primary care setting.

Background: The primary care evaluation of mental disorders (PRIME-MD) can be seen as characteristic for successive refinements of criteria and structured interview techniques for diagnosing psychiatric disorders in primary care. It is one of the most widely used instruments, but there is no evidence to support its test-retest reliability., Methods: With 1-week intervals between interviews, a test-retest study of the PRIME-MD was conducted in a general practice population of 100 distressed patients (20- to 60-years old) who were on sick leave., Results: Almost everyone (89%) received one or more diagnoses at both measurements, and there was fair total agreement (kappa = 0.27). The best agreement was found for more severe threshold disorders [major depressive disorder (kappa = 0.58), dysthymia (kappa = 0.57), and generalized anxiety disorder (kappa = 0.59)], while we found indefinite results for the sub-threshold disorders [anxiety disorder not otherwise specified (NOS) (kappa =.30), minor depressive disorder (kappa = -0.03), and somatoform disorder NOS (kappa = 0.11)]., Conclusion: The PRIME-MD is one of the few instruments in primary care that actually diagnoses specific mental disorders according to the DSM criteria. However, there was a failure to adequately classify sub-threshold disorders. Mental disorders, as seen in primary care, encompass important specific symptoms and clinical syndromes that vary in duration and severity over time, but they also encompass an admixture of somatic and psychological symptoms that do not match current diagnostic systems. This most likely resulted in methodological uncertainty about the level of agreement. Diagnostic criteria in psychiatry need to be operationalized for use in primary care and require further evaluation.

Background: Late-life depression often remains undetected in primary care. However, as there is evidence that GPs do identify those with the most severe and persistent disorders, it is important to know more about the prognosis of depressive disorders that are not detected by GPs., Methods: A one-year follow-up study of depressed patients of 55 years and older consulting their GP in The Netherlands. A two-stepped screening procedure was used to diagnose depression using the GDS-15 and PRIME-MD. GPs and patients were not informed about the results. The course of depression was measured with the MADRS and PRIME-MD, at six and twelve months. Remission was defined by no longer fulfilling DSM-criteria for depressive disorder and a MADRS-score below 10. The prognosis of those not detected by GPs was compared to those that were detected., Results: 73 patients were followed for one year. Among the 49 (67%) patients that were not detected by their GP as being depressed, 33% had remitted after one year. Of the 24 (33%) depressed patients that were detected by their GP, 37% had remitted after one year. Detected patients tended to have more serious depression and more comorbid anxiety than undetected patients., Conclusions: Although GPs identify older depressed patients who are most in need of treatment, the prognosis of patients that go undetected is poor.

The elderly often present with anxiety disorders in primary care, and specific treatment options in that setting are needed. In a randomised clinical trial, 7 sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy performed in the primary care setting by very experienced cognitive behavioural therapists was found to reduce worry, depressive symptoms and general health symptoms. However, severity of generalised anxiety disorder did not improve, and medication use did not diminish during the intervention. In the Dutch primary care setting, implementation of such a therapeutic option would require an organisational intervention. Moreover, such an intervention should be combined with an intervention aimed at reducing benzodiazepine use, i.e. in a collaborative care model specifically designed for anxiety disorder in the elderly.

Objective: Anxiety and depressive disorders are widely prevalent, but patients are only treated in a minority of cases. In this study, the explanation of receiving mental health treatment is sought in predisposing and enabling characteristics and indicators for objective and self-perceived need., Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of data collected in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) among 743 persons with an anxiety and/or depression diagnosis as assessed by the CIDI. Receipt of mental health treatment was assessed in the face-to-face interview, as well as indicators of predisposing and enabling factors and variables evaluating need for care., Results: Of the total sample, 57% received treatment in the past 6 months in the general practice setting (50%) or the mental health care setting (14%). Younger patients, patients who evaluated their providers better on communicative abilities and patients who perceived mental health problems themselves had greater odds of having professional mental health contacts in the primary care setting. Confidence in professional help and higher severity of mental problems were associated with greater odds of having specialized mental health care., Conclusion: Receiving help for common mental disorders depends not only on the objective need of the patient but also at least as much on the patients' own recognition that their problems have a mental health origin. Furthermore, in primary care especially, the patients' judgment of their providers' affective abilities may be decisive for being treated. For receiving specialized care, patients are also directed by their confidence in professional help.

Background: Late-life depression is associated with chronic illness, disability, and a poor prognosis. Primary care management may be in need of improvement., Aim: To compare the effects of an intervention programme that aims to improve the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of depression in patients aged > or =55 years with the effects of usual care., Design of Study: Cluster randomised controlled trial., Setting: General practices in the Netherlands., Method: Trained GPs performed the intervention and their practice assistants conducted the screenings. Patients were screened with the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and given a consultation with the GP who diagnosed depression with the mood module of the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders (PRIME-MD). Antidepressant treatment was proposed. Primary outcomes were measured with the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Trained independent research assistants performed independent evaluations in both arms., Results: Eighteen practices (23 GPs) were allocated to the intervention and 16 practices (20 GPs) to usual care. From June 2000 to September 2002, 3937 patients were screened; 579 patients had a positive score on the GDS-15, 178 had major depression, of whom 145 participated in the trial. MADRS scores for the intervention group dropped from 21.66 at baseline to 9.23 at 6 months, and the usual care group from 20.94 at baseline to 11.45 at 6 months. MADRS scores decreased during the year in both arms. For the intervention group, these scores increased between 6 and 12 months., Conclusion: The programme resulted in lower MADRS scores in the intervention group than in the usual care group, but only at the end of the intervention, at 6 months after baseline.

Objective: To develop an attractive and effective patient feedback training programme for general practice trainees (GPTs)., Methods: First, an exploratory study was conducted in which patients and GPTs were interviewed after they had worked with patient feedback. This contributed to the development of the patient feedback training programme. Subsequently, in a feasibility study, first-year GPTs asked patients to give feedback on their consultation skills by completing a questionnaire. The outcomes of group discussions with the GPTs and the results of the evaluation forms filled in by the GPTs were analysed., Results: Forty-eight GPTs collected 878 questionnaires. GPTs and patients alike expected patient feedback to be a major tool for acquiring consultation skills. The GPTs encountered several obstacles in the organisation of this programme in their practice. They reported that the learning effects were more limited than they had expected because patients gave positively biased answers and because not all consultations provided an appropriate source of patient feedback., Conclusion: The new patient feedback programme on consultation skills is feasible for patients and GPTs., Practice Implications: To optimise the educational potential and benefits of patient feedback, GPTs should ask for feedback from patients after challenging consultations, and should stimulate patients to be critical in their answers.

The Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline (IQCODE) has been successful in identifying demented persons in a general population. In this study, this questionnaire was used as a self-report screening for dementia symptoms. The object was to investigate the feasibility, homogeneity, and construct validity of self-reports on the IQCODE. Participants were 4823 community-dwelling older adults who received an IQCODE-SR. Feasibility was assessed on the basis of response rate, the proportion of missing data for each item, and the number of persons who received help in completing the questionnaire. Homogeneity was checked with Cronbach's alpha. To investigate construct validity, hypotheses on performance of the IQCODE-SR were tested. Feasibility was acceptable, with a response rate of 58.9%. Missing answers per item ranged from 2.5% to 7.3%, and 915 of 2841 participants received help in completing the questionnaire. Homogeneity was good, with Cronbach's alpha = .94. The majority of hypotheses on construct validity were confirmed. It was concluded that the IQCODE-SR meets the basic requirements of a good measurement instrument.

Background: Old people (75+) are underrepresented in studies on the prevalence of and risk factors for depression while the number of elderly people suffering from this mood disorder may be considerably higher than previously assumed. The role--if any--of age and gender in 'Geriatric Depression' is still unclear., Methods: In this community-based study, prevalence of depressive symptomatology and risk indicators were assessed in 2850 participants aged 75 years or more. A clinically relevant level of depressive symptoms was defined as a score of > or =16 on the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D). Demographic data and questions related to physical and psychological health were recorded. Simple and multiple logistic regression techniques were used to determine the risk indicators (Odds Ratios, OR, with 95% confidence intervals, CI) with apparent importance to this population., Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was assessed to be 31.1%. This is considerably higher than what has been found in younger elderly samples. The bivariate age effect was OR 1.05 (95% CI=1.03 to 1.07). Controlling for confounding, the effect of gender and age on depressive symptoms disappeared., Conclusions: Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in the elderly population and increase with age. This increase seems to be attributable to age-related changes in risk factors rather than to ageing itself. With regard to the risk factors found, attention should perhaps be paid to functional disability, loneliness and apprehensiveness for falling since these risk indicators are amenable for improvement.

Background: Depression is a highly prevalent condition that is associated with high levels of work absenteeism and high health care costs. Most patients are treated in primary care. A large group of patients prefers psychological treatments to antidepressants., Aims of the Study: To systematically review the evidence for the cost-effectiveness of psychological treatments, psychotherapy and counselling, in comparison with usual care or antidepressant treatment in adult primary care patients with depression., Methods: A computer-assisted search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library was carried out. Two independent reviewers selected studies for the review, extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies., Results: Seven studies were included in the review. Forms of psychotherapy that were evaluated were cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy and couple therapy. Usual care generally consisted of care as usually provided by the general practitioner. No conclusion can be drawn on the cost-effectiveness of the above mentioned forms of psychotherapy in comparison with usual care or antidepressant treatment. The cost-effectiveness of counselling in comparison with usual care and antidepressant therapy is yet to be established. Meta-analyses showed that psychotherapy was significantly more expensive than usual care, but not significantly more expensive than antidepressant treatment. Counselling was associated with no statistically significant differences in costs and effects in comparison with usual care in the pooled analysis., Discussion: Based on this review, no firm conclusions on the cost-effectiveness of psychotherapy and counselling in primary care can be drawn. Most studies had methodological shortcomings, which limit the generalisibility of the results., Implications for Health Policies: Given the reluctance of patients to use antidepressants and the large economic impact of depression, policy makers have a need for well designed and sufficiently powered economic evaluations of psychological treatments. The available evidence seems to indicate that psychotherapy has more substantial clinical effects than counselling. Therefore, the emphasis should be on economic evaluations of forms of psychotherapy that have proved to be clinically effective., Implications for Further Research: There are indications that the cost-effectiveness of depression treatment on the whole may be improved by incorporating psychological treatments into enhanced care models, tailored to the needs of individual patients and/or by providing them by trained nurses instead of psychologists or psychotherapists. Further research should investigate these patient tailored, stepped care treatment modalities for depression treatment.

The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) is a multi-site naturalistic cohort study to: (1) describe the long-term course and consequences of depressive and anxiety disorders, and (2) to integrate biological and psychosocial research paradigms within an epidemiological approach in order to examine (interaction between) predictors of the long-term course and consequences. Its design is an eight-year longitudinal cohort study among 2981 participants aged 18 through 65 years. The sample consists of 1701 persons with a current (six-month recency) diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety disorder, 907 persons with life-time diagnoses or at risk because of a family history or subthreshold depressive or anxiety symptoms, and 373 healthy controls. Recruitment took place in the general population, in general practices (through a three-stage screening procedure), and in mental health organizations in order to recruit persons reflecting various settings and developmental stages of psychopathology. During a four-hour baseline assessment including written questionnaires, interviews, a medical examination, a cognitive computer task and collection of blood and saliva samples, extensive information was gathered about key (mental) health outcomes and demographic, psychosocial, clinical, biological and genetic determinants. Detailed assessments will be repeated after one, two, four and eight years of follow-up. The findings of NESDA are expected to provide more detailed insight into (predictors of) the long-term course of depressive and anxiety disorders in adults. Besides its scientific relevance, this may contribute to more effective prevention and treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders.

Background: The Sense of Competence Questionnaire (SCQ) was originally developed for informal caregivers of patients with diagnosed dementia. In order to study the validity and usefulness of the SCQ when applied to informal caregivers of older adults with dementia symptoms (i.e. cognitive impairment, pre-diagnostic dementia or dementia in its early stages), we investigated the construct validity, feasibility, subscales, homogeneity, and floor and ceiling effects in this new target population., Methods: A psychometric evaluation was performed among 99 informal caregivers. To investigate construct validity, hypotheses were tested, concerning the association between sense of competence and burden, mental quality of life, depressive symptoms, and mastery. To investigate feasibility, response rate and the proportion of missing data were explored for each item. An exploratory principal component analysis was used to investigate whether the SCQ comprises the three subscales established in previous studies. Homogeneity was assessed for each subscale with Cronbach's alpha and item-total correlations. Floor and ceiling effects were explored., Results: Most hypotheses on construct validity were rejected. Only the subscale 'consequences of involvement in care' was found to be partly valid. Feasibility: 93 out of 99 persons completed the SCQ. The proportion of unanswered items per item ranged from 0-3%. Subscales: the SCQ comprises the three expected subscales. Homogeneity: Cronbach's alpha and item-total correlations of the three subscales were satisfactory. A ceiling effect occurred on the subscale 'satisfaction with the care recipient'., Conclusion: The three subscales of the SCQ showed good homogeneity and feasibility, but their validity is insufficient: only the subscale 'consequences of involvement' was found to be partly valid. The two other subscales might not be relevant yet for the new target population, since many of the items on these scales refer to problem behaviour and problematic interactions. Our message to clinicians is not to use these subscales.

Background: Little is known about the prognosis of depression in older patients in general practice or the community., Objectives: To summarize available evidence on the course and prognostic factors of depression in older persons., Methods: We conducted a systematic, computerized search of Medline and PsycINFO. Manual search of references of included studies were done. Studies potentially eligible for inclusion were discussed by two reviewers. Methodological quality was independently assessed by two reviewers. Data regarding selection criteria, duration of follow-up, outcome of depression and prognostic factors were extracted., Results: We identified 40 studies reporting on four cohorts in general practice and 17 in the community. Of all, 67% were of high quality. Follow-up was up to 1 year in general practice and up to 10 years in the community. Information on treatment was hardly provided. About one in three patients developed a chronic course. Five cohorts used more than two measurements during follow-up, illustrating a fluctuating course of depression. Using a best evidence synthesis we summarized the value of prognostic indicators. General practice studies did not provide strong evidence for any factor. Community studies provided strong evidence for an association of baseline depression level, older age, external locus of control, somatic co-morbidity and functional limitations with persistent depression., Conclusion: Within the older population, age seems to be a negative prognostic factor, while older people are more likely to be exposed to most of the other prognostic factors identified.

Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders are a very common, serious and underdetected problem in homes for the elderly. Elderly persons in residential homes are at high risk for developing major depressive and anxiety disorders, and, therefore, deserve attention with regard to prevention., Methods/design: This protocol describes a randomised trial on the feasibility and (cost) effectiveness of a stepped-care programme for prevention of depressive and anxiety disorders in homes for the elderly. The main outcome measure is the incidence of depressive and anxiety disorder in one year with a two years follow up. Secondary outcomes are symptoms of depression and anxiety, quality of life, direct health care costs and satisfaction with treatment., Discussion: The number of studies examining the effects of preventive interventions on the incidence of mental disorders in the elderly population is very small. However, indicated prevention by means of a stepped-care programme seems to be an important option for decreasing the burden of illness for residents and their caregivers. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in this field. Positive effects may contribute to further use and development of tailored, (cost-) effective and easy to use interventions in a preventive stepped-care programme.

Background: Depressive disorder is currently one of the most burdensome disorders worldwide. Evidence-based treatments for depressive disorder are already available, but these are used insufficiently, and with less positive results than possible. Earlier research in the USA has shown good results in the treatment of depressive disorder based on a collaborative care approach with Problem Solving Treatment and an antidepressant treatment algorithm, and research in the UK has also shown good results with Problem Solving Treatment. These treatment strategies may also work very well in the Netherlands too, even though health care systems differ between countries., Methods/design: This study is a two-armed randomised clinical trial, with randomization on patient-level. The aim of the trial is to evaluate the treatment of depressive disorder in primary care in the Netherlands by means of an adapted collaborative care framework, including contracting and adherence-improving strategies, combined with Problem Solving Treatment and antidepressant medication according to a treatment algorithm. Forty general practices will be randomised to either the intervention group or the control group. Included will be patients who are diagnosed with moderate to severe depression, based on DSM-IV criteria, and stratified according to comorbid chronic physical illness. Patients in the intervention group will receive treatment based on the collaborative care approach, and patients in the control group will receive care as usual. Baseline measurements and follow up measures (3, 6, 9 and 12 months) are assessed using questionnaires and an interview. The primary outcome measure is severity of depressive symptoms, according to the PHQ9. Secondary outcome measures are remission as measured with the PHQ9 and the IDS-SR, and cost-effectiveness measured with the TiC-P, the EQ-5D and the SF-36., Discussion: In this study, an American model to enhance care for patients with a depressive disorder, the collaborative care model, will be evaluated for effectiveness in the primary care setting. If effective across the Atlantic and across different health care systems, it is also likely to be an effective strategy to implement in the treatment of major depressive disorder in the Netherlands.

Background: Depressive disorder is one of the most common disorders, and is highly prevalent in chronically ill patients. The presence of comorbid depression has a negative influence on quality of life, health care costs, self-care, morbidity, and mortality. Early diagnosis and well-organized treatment of depression has a positive influence on these aspects. Earlier research in the USA has reported good results with regard to the treatment of depression with a collaborative care approach and an antidepressant algorithm. In the UK 'Problem Solving Treatment' has proved to be feasible. However, in the general hospital setting this approach has not yet been evaluated., Methods/design: CC: DIM (Collaborative Care: Depression Initiative in the Medical setting) is a two-armed randomised controlled trial with randomisation at patient level. The aim of the trial is to evaluate the treatment of depressive disorder in general hospitals in the Netherlands based on a collaborative care framework, including contracting, 'Problem Solving Treatment', antidepressant algorithm, and manual-guided self-help. 126 outpatients with diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or cardiovascular diseases will be randomised to either the intervention group or the control group. Patients will be included if they have been diagnosed with moderate to severe depression, based on the DSM-IV criteria in a two-step screening method. The intervention group will receive treatment based on the collaborative care approach; the control group will receive 'care as usual'. Baseline and follow-up measurements (after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months) will be performed by means of questionnaires. The primary outcome measure is severity of depressive symptoms, as measured with the PHQ-9. The secondary outcome measure is the cost-effectiveness of these treatments according to the TiC-P, the EuroQol and the SF-36., Discussion: Earlier research has indicated that depressive disorder is a chronic, mostly recurrent illness, which tends to cluster with physical comorbidity. Even though the treatment of depressive disorder based on the guidelines for depression is proven effective, these guidelines are often insufficiently adhered to. Collaborative care and 'Problem Solving Treatment' will be specifically tailored to patients with depressive disorders and evaluated in a general hospital setting in the Netherlands.

Background: The objective of this article is to describe the design of an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of systematic home visits by nurses to frail elderly primary care patients. Pilot objectives were: 1. To determine the feasibility of postal multidimensional frailty screening instruments; 2. to identify the need for home visits to elderly., Methods: Main study: The main study concerns a randomized controlled in primary care practices (PCP) with 18 months follow-up and blinded PCPs. Frail persons aged 75 years or older and living at home but neither terminally ill nor demented from 33 PCPs were eligible. Trained community nurses (1) visit patients at home and assess the care needs with the Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care, a multidimensional computerized geriatric assessment instrument, enabling direct identification of problem areas; (2) determine the care priorities together with the patient; (3) design and execute interventions according to protocols; (4) and visit patients at least five times during a year in order to execute and monitor the care-plan. Controls receive usual care. Outcome measures are Quality of life, and Quality Adjusted Life Years; time to nursing home admission; mortality; hospital admissions; health care utilization. Pilot 1: Three brief postal multidimensional screening measures to identify frail health among elderly persons were tested on percentage complete item response (selected after a literature search): 1) Vulnerable Elders Screen, 2) Strawbridge's frailty screen, and 3) COOP-WONCA charts. Pilot 2: Three nurses visited elderly frail patients as identified by PCPs in a health center of 5400 patients and used an assessment protocol to identify psychosocial and medical problems. The needs and experiences of all participants were gathered by semi-structured interviews., Discussion: The design holds several unique elements such as early identification of frail persons combined with case-management by nurses. From two pilots we learned that of three potential postal frailty measures, the COOP-WONCA charts were completed best by elderly and that preventive home visits by nurses were positively evaluated to have potential for quality of care improvement.

Background: Clinical studies suggest that vascular depression presents with typical symptom patterns. The aim of the present study is to examine whether depressed older persons in the open population with and without vascular disease show different symptom patterns., Methods: In the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), a depressed cohort with (n=114) and without (n=292) vascular disease was identified. Depression was measured using self-reports (CES-D). Vascular disease was confirmed or ruled out using a combination of self-reported data, medication use and reports from general practitioners., Results: No significant differences were found in depressive symptom patterns, in symptom clusters nor individual items of the CES-D. Depressed subjects with vascular disease showed much more disability than those without vascular disease. Age of onset of depression did not show statistically significant difference., Conclusions: From our study in the open population, there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that depressed older persons with vascular disease have a distinct depressive symptom profile, but they do show more disability.

Patients' preferences in the treatment of depression are important in clinical practice and in research. Antidepressant medication is often prescribed, but adherence is low. This may be caused by patients preferring psychotherapy, which is often not available in primary care. In randomized clinical trials, patients' preferences may affect the external validity. The aim of this article is to study patients' preferences regarding psychotherapy and antidepressant medication and the impact of these preferences on treatment outcome. A systematic review of the literature was performed. The majority of patients preferred psychotherapy in all available studies. Antidepressants were often regarded as addictive and psychotherapy was assumed to solve the cause of depression. Discussing and supporting preferences as part of a quality improvement program of depression care, resulted in more patients receiving the treatment that was most suitable to them. In two patient-preference trials, preferences did not influence treatment outcome. It can be concluded that a substantial percentage of well-informed patients prefer psychotherapy. Patients with strong preferences, mostly for psychotherapy, are likely not to enter antidepressant treatment or randomized clinical trials if their preferences are not supported.

Objectives: Screening is advocated to improve the recognition of patients with major depression in primary care. Furthermore, disease management programmes are advocated to improve the quality of care and outcome for these patients. But is screening and the subsequent implementation of a disease management programme more effective than usual care?, Methods: Review of the literature on the effects of disease management programmes that include screening for major depression in general practice., Results: Six randomised controlled trials were identified in which the effectiveness of disease management programmes were studied in patients with major depression in primary care and compared with usual care. The majority of these, and especially the largest, showed positive effects on the recognition, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of patients. Populations in the US seem to benefit most., Conclusion: The results of disease management programmes for major depression in primary care that include screening are positive and are more effective than usual care. Therefore, if proceeded by screening, attention to the whole process of care for patients with major depression instead of paying attention to isolated elements of the process is justified.

In health care research, the patient-doctor relationship as perceived by the patient is considered important. Our aim was to develop and validate a questionnaire that assesses the Patient-Doctor Relationship, the Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire (PDRQ-9). The PDRQ-9 was developed out of the Helping Alliance Questionnaire of Luborsky, a scale that measures the therapeutic alliance in psychotherapy. Its psychometric qualities and validity in general practice were assessed, with the collaboration of 110 general practice patients and 55 patients in an Epilepsy Clinic. Principal components analysis demonstrates a two-factorial structure, one related to the doctor, and one related to the medical symptoms of the patient. Both show high reliability but as the second factor explains only 9% of the variance, it is eliminated from the questionnaire. The PDRQ-9 provides researchers a brief measure of the therapeutic aspects of the patient-doctor relationship in the primary care setting. It is a valuable tool for scientific and practical purposes involving the monitoring of the patient-doctor relationship.

General practitioners (GPs) are recommended to use DSM-IV criteria to diagnose major depression in daily clinical practice. This implies the assessment of nine depressive symptoms and four additional criteria. A short structured interview has been developed to assess these symptoms and criteria, and a study was carried out to investigate the reliability and validity with which GPs can assess these symptoms and criteria and the DSM-IV diagnosis of major depression. In 14 general practices, 52 patients with symptoms of distress and depression were interviewed twice by their GP, with an interval of one to four days. Furthermore, the patients filled out three depression questionnaires. The reproducibility of eight symptoms and three additional criteria was moderate to good (kappa >0.40). The reproducibility of the depressive symptom count, that is necessary to arrive at a diagnosis of major depression, was such that in 75 percent of the patients the test-retest difference did not exceed one symptom. The reproducibility of the diagnosis of major depression was good (kappa 0.63). The validity of the diagnosis of major depression assessed by the GPs, as compared to results of the self-report depression questionnaires, was satisfactory (r 0.35-0.61). Diagnosing major depression in patients with depressive symptomatology just above or below the threshold of major depression warrants a certain amount of caution in general practice.