ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the proportion of benzodiazepines consumers who present a mayor depressive disorder and to observe the clinical evolution after restoring an antidepressive treatment. DESIGN: An observational design with a transversal character to determine the prevalence of the depression and a pre and after intervention to observe the answer to the treatment. SETTING: Primary Care. PATIENTS: Patients of the Centro de Salud Zona IV of Albacete who consume benzodiazepines (size of the sample: 91 subjects, selected by means of a consecutive pattern in three medical offices of general practice). INTERVENTION: To install an antidepressive treatment. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We explored the presence of nuclear symptoms of depression by means of a interview. The other analyzed variables were: the cognitive state, the characteristics of the consume of benzodiazepines, the problems of health, the intake of other medicines, the frequentation, the installation of the antidepressive treatment and the sociodemographic characteristics. The patients diagnosed of mayor depression were interviewed again after one month and after three months. 37 patients presented criterion of mayor depression (40.7%) (CI 95%: 30.5-51.5). In these an antidepressive treatment was restored, corresponding to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the 91.9% of the occasions. The proportion of depressive patients was higher in women (p = 0.04) and under the diagnosed people we observed a lower period of benzodiazepines consume (p = 0.02), although with a much higher daily consume (p = 0.01). Among the 37 patients who initiated the treatment, only 7 presented adverse reaction. 28 patients were appraised after one month, presenting 6 of them 5 or more nuclear symptoms of depression. CONCLUSIONS: The high proportion of mayor depressive frames can justify the systematic investigation of such disorder in benzodiazepines consumers, specially in women and in patients with a high intake. The identification of the nuclear symptoms can be considered as a useful technique to orientate a mayor depression and to evaluate also the results of an antidepressive treatment.
Subject(s)
Anti-Anxiety Agents/therapeutic use , Depressive Disorder, Major/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Anti-Anxiety Agents/adverse effects , Benzodiazepines , Chi-Square Distribution , Cross-Sectional Studies , Depressive Disorder, Major/diagnosis , Depressive Disorder, Major/epidemiology , Depressive Disorder, Major/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Socioeconomic Factors , Spain/epidemiology , Statistics, NonparametricABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The use of contraceptives is related to factors including those of a demographic, social, economic, educational and ideological nature. The purpose of our study is that of ascertaining with what contraceptive methods the women of child-bearing age assigned to a given health care center are familiar, in addition to prevalence of the use thereof. METHODS: Based on the health care card listing, 389 of the 5800 women of child-bearing age (15-45 years old) assigned to the health care center in question were selected by means of a systematic sampling. After sending them a letter notifying them of the reason for this study, they were contacted by telephone to fill out the survey, which included questions regarding their knowledge and use of contraceptive methods, their sociocultural characteristics and sexual activity. Appointments at the health center were made with those women who did not have telephones. RESULTS: 178 women were contacted, 166 of whom took part in the survey (42.7% response rate). 86 of these women (51.8%; CI: 44.2-59.4%) were using some means of contraception. Nevertheless, among women at risk of unwanted pregnancies, the prevalence of use was 70.5% (CI: 62.4-78.6%), being worthy of special mention the fact that solely 45.4% of the women within the 40-45 age group were using contraceptives, revealing a frequency significantly lower than the other age groups. The methods known to the greatest degree were the condom (90.4%), oral contraceptives (89.2%) and the IUD (78.3%), the knowledge of other means being scant. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of use of contraceptive methods among women at risk of unwanted pregnancy is acceptable, although strikingly low among the women in the 40-45 age group. The methods known most were the condom, oral contraceptives and the intrauterine device.
