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[Concomitant depressions in non-psychiatric diseases. Identification and therapy of depressive components]
Insights
We define concomitant depression as the simultaneous occurrence of depressive mood and physical illness. This condition frequently affects neurology and internal medicine patients, impacting one-fifth to one-third of those with chronic conditions.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Neurology
- Clinical Medicine
Context:
- Simultaneous occurrence of depressive mood and physical disease presents diagnostic challenges.
- Neurology and internal medicine frequently encounter this comorbidity.
- Conditions like cerebral insults and chronic pain syndromes are common contexts.
Purpose:
- Introduce and define the term "concomitant depression" phenomenologically.
- Discuss its classification and relationship to existing medical frameworks.
- Provide quantitative evaluation methods and pharmacotherapy suggestions.
Summary:
- Concomitant depression is defined as the simultaneous presentation of depressive mood and physical illness.
- It is prevalent in neurology and internal medicine, particularly with chronic conditions.
- Quantitative evaluation and pharmacotherapy strategies are proposed.
Impact:
- Enhances understanding of depression in physically ill patients.
- Improves diagnostic accuracy and patient management in clinical settings.
- Offers a framework for further research into this comorbidity.
Abstract:
We introduce the new term "concomitant depression" and define it purely phenomenologically as the simultaneous appearance of a depressive mood and physical disease. Its place within the framework of previously current nomenclatures and classification according to causal principles are discussed. Neurology and internal medicine in particular are greatly confronted with the problem of concomitant depression. The main fields are the cerebral insult, radicular pain syndromes and internal medical conditions which tend to chroncity. The proportion of depressive component amounts to 1/5 to 1/3 of the total number of patients. By means of an anterospectively programmed medical record, we were able to evaluate the concomitant depression quantitatively. Suggestions for rational pharmacotherapy are given.