The DOI matches its Crossref record; 1 of the 1 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Depression Comorbid with Anxiety: Results from the WHO Study on Psychological Disorders in Primary Health Care
Abstract
The World Health Organization collaborative study on “Psychological Problems in General Health Care” investigated the form, frequency, course and outcome of common psychological problems in primary care settings at 15 international sites. The research employed a two-stage case-finding procedure. GHQ–12 was administered to 25 916 adults who consulted health-care services. The second-stage assessment (n=5438) consisted of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (GDI), the Social Disability Schedule, and questionnaires. Possible cases or borderline cases of mental disorder, and a sample of known cases, were followed up at three months and one year. Using standard diagnostic algorithms (ICD–10), prevalence rates were calculated for current disorder (one-month) and lifetime experience disorder. Well-defined psychological problems are frequent in all the general health-care settings examined (median 24.0%). Among the most common were depression, anxiety, alcohol misuse, somatoform disorders, and neurasthenia. Nine per cent of patients suffered from a “subthreshold condition” that did not meet diagnostic criteria but had clinically significant symptoms and functional impairment. The most common co-occurrence was depression and anxiety. Comorbidity increases the likelihood of recognition of mental disorders in general health care, and the likelihood of receiving treatment.
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“Research has shown that nearly half of all cases of depression and anxiety occur in the same patients at the same time [74].”
From Correlations between social media addiction and anxiety, depression, FoMO, loneliness and self-esteem among students: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2025) · cites this paper as [74]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Sartorius, N., Üstün, T. B., Lecrubier, Y., & Wittchen, H.-U.
- Affiliations
- University of Geneva (CH)
- World Health Organization (CH)
- Inserm (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Üstün, T. Bedirhan
- Venue
- British Journal of Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 1996-06
- Volume
- 168
- Issue
- S30
- Pages
- 38-43
- ISSN
- 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-1465
- OpenAlex
- W2765030473
- Cited by
- 541
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 18.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- depression, anxiety, comorbidities, primary care, mental illness, prevalence, mental disorder recognition, treatment seeking, alcohol abuse, somatoform disorders, neurasthenia
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Antidepressive Agents, Anxiety Disorders, Chronic Disease, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Primary Health Care, Professional Impairment, Psychotropic Drugs, Sampling Studies, World Health Organization, Comorbidity, Prevalence, Odds Ratio
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