Prevalence of depression among Kuwait patients attending the Sawaber Health center

ABSTRACT

To determine the prevalence of depression among Kuwaiti patients attending a primary health care clinic. Subjects and A c ross-sectional study of consecutive Kuwaiti patients who attended the Sawaber clinic for physical medical problems, aged between 21 and 64 years during November and December 2002. One hundred and twenty-five patients were interviewed in detail about their socio-demographic characteristics, and the mental status examination was done by using the items of the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders [DSM-IV criteria] to elicit symptoms of depression. Diagnosis of depression was based on DSM-IV criteria. Result: The study group consisted of 45 [36%] males and 80 [64%] females; 46.4% were clerks, 83.2% were married and 76% belonged to the medium socio-economic level. Based on the clinical interview, 29.6% of subjects fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for depression. Out of these, 78.4% were females, 70.3% were married and 64.9% were of intermediate socioeconomic level. Significantly, more female patients had depression. Depression was significantly commoner among patients who were married and from the low socioeconomic group. None of the subjects had suicidal thoughts. It is recommended that doctors in primary care settings should be aware of psychiatric morbidity in general, and depression in particular, with a view to