| This study investigates the practice of treating clinical depression in non-psychiatric settings, specifically primary care. A survey addressing professional practices and opinions was sent to a sample of 125 medical physicians from three hospital locations in metropolitan Chicago. A total of 95 instruments were returned, yielding a 76% response rate. The instrument surveyed the doctors on the prevalence of treating depression in primary care settings and the possible reasons and trends that could account for it. Although there was widespread agreement among respondents with different clinical specialties that depression is increasingly being treated in primary care, there was considerable variability with regard to perceived causality.; The results of the research supported the hypothesis that the treatment of depression is shifting to primary care settings, but not all the proposed reasons were substantiated based on the survey replies. Causality was difficult to establish, suggesting that singular factors do not explain the transition. The failed hypotheses are valuable in that they lay the groundwork for further research and they identify the complexity surrounding the treatment of mental illness. |
