The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7356 p9
2 July 2005

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Pain neglected in depression

Patients with depression are likely to visit their GP because of unrelieved aches and pains, sleep problems and fatigue, according to a new survey.

Despite the knowledge that somatic symptoms can be caused by depression, these frequently go unrecognised, said Patt Franciosi, president of the World Federation for Mental Health, presenting the results during a recent American Psychiatric Association meeting.

“Undiagnosed patients are likely to overuse the medical system because of their continuing physical complaints,” she said.

In the WFMH survey people with major depressive disorder waited more than 11 months on average before consulting a GP and were not diagnosed until they had made five visits. Over two thirds failed to link their physical and somatic symptoms to depression.