Pesquisa de depresión mayor en hipertensos consultantes de la Atención Primaria / Frequency of depression among hypertensive subjects in a primary care clinic

ABSTRACT

Background: Severe depression and hypertension are two common conditions in the Chilean population. There is a possibility that the coexistence of these diseases is not a coincidence and that hypertension can be pathogenically related to depression.Aim: To assess the frequency of depression among hypertensive subjects consulting in a primary care clinic. Patients and methods: Beck depression inventory, a sociodemographic surveyand a risk scale for depression elaborated by the Chilean Ministry of Health were applied to 442 hypertensive patients consulting in a public primary care clinic. Results: According to Beck depression inventory score, 53%, 33% and 14% of subjects had a mild, moderate or severe depression, respectively. Most individuals were housewives with incomplete primary education. There was a significant association between depression scores, family Apgar score, mood perception, family violence, alcohol consumption and smoking. Conclusions: There is a high frequency of depression among adults with hypertension consulting in a public primary care clinic.