Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29237425›Full record

ArticleBMC psychiatry2017

German general practitioners' self-reported management of patients with chronic depression.

Florian Wolf, Antje Freytag, Sven Schulz, Thomas Lehmann, Susann Schaffer, Horst Christian Vollmar, Thomas Kühlein, Jochen Gensichen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychiatry, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Florian WolfInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstraße 18, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
Antje FreytagInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstraße 18, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
Sven SchulzInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstraße 18, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
Thomas LehmannInstitute of Medical Statistics, Computer Sciences and Documentation, Jena University Hospital, Bachstraße 18, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
Susann SchafferInstitute of General Practice, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Universitätsstraße 29, D-91054, Erlangen, Germany.
Horst Christian VollmarInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstraße 18, D-07743, Jena, Germany.
Thomas KühleinInstitute of General Practice, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Universitätsstraße 29, D-91054, Erlangen, Germany.
Jochen GensichenInstitute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Bachstraße 18, D-07743, Jena, Germany. jochen.gensichen@med.uni-muenchen.de.
Jena University Hospital · DEFriedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg · DELudwig-Maximilians-Universität München · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients with chronic depression (persisting symptoms for ≥2 years) are a clinically relevant group with extensive (co)morbidity, high functional impairment and associated costs in primary care. The General Practitioner (GP) is the main health professional attending to these patients. The aim of this study was to examine the GPs' perception on managing patients with chronic depression.

methodsWe performed an explorative cross-sectional study with a systematic sample of GPs in central Germany. Source of data was a written questionnaire (46 items). Descriptive analysis was carried out.

resultsTwo hundred twenty (out of 1000; 22%) GPs participated. 93% of the GPs distinguish between care for patients with chronic depression and acute depressive episode. 92% would recommend psychotherapeutic co-treatment to the chronically depressed patient. 52% of GPs would favour a general restraint on antidepressants (ADs) in older chronically depressed patients (≥ 75 years) whereas 40% suggest long-term pharmacotherapy. If severe physical comorbidity is present GPs would be restrictive in prescribing ADs (65%) or would urgently refer to specialist psychiatric services (40%). In case of a comorbid anxiety disorder 66% of the GPs would suggest a combined psycho- und pharmacotherapy. If a substance use disorder coexists 84% would prefer urgent referrals to specialist services.

conclusionsParticipating GPs report awareness towards chronic depression in their patients. Physical and mental comorbidity seem to play an important role in GPs' treatment decisions.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAntidepressive AgentsAnxiety DisordersComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionFemaleGeneral PracticeGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedPractice Patterns, Physicians'Primary Health CarePsychotropic DrugsAntidepressive AgentsPsychotropic DrugsChronic depressionComorbidityGeneral practiceQuality of health careSurveys and questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID29237425
PMCPMC5729254
OpenAlexW2775192479

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.