[Occurrence of depression with internal diseases]

Depressions belong to the most frequent diseases. They are only partly recognized. The largest number of depressive patients is to be found in the practice of the general practitioner and the internist. The relations between an internal disease and physical complaints, respectively, and a depressive syndrome are varied. It is reported on the results of an examination of 420 patients of a Clinic for Internal Diseases. 57 patients (13.6%) showed a depressive concomitant syndrome. Psychogenic depressions were more frequent than endogenic forms, the latter particularly as masked depression. These and other results are discussed and conclusions are made for the practice, in which cases the authors particularly enter the recognition of depressive conditions and the problems of psychic care as well as the therapy with psychopharmaca.