Improving physicians' recognition and treatment of depression in general medical care: Results from a randomized clinical trial.

Investigated whether the results of a depression screening instrument, when provided to physicians, would influence their recognition and treatment of depression in a primary care setting. The intervention consisted of randomly informing or not informing physicians of the depression status of 100 male patients who screened positively for depression on both the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and a screen from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). Feedback to physicians of SDS scores of previously unrecognized depressed patients made a significant difference in greater recognition and treatment of depression over 12 mo, especially for patients with high somatic or low psychologic symptoms of depression. Routine use of a depression screening instrument may improve physician recognition of depression and increase initiation of treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)