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Table 1 Diagnosis, psychosocial context, past history, and ongoing conditions (n = 50)

From: Why do general practitioners prescribe antidepressants to their patients? A pilot study

  

All patients n = 50

All patients with at least one psychiatric diagnosis(1)n = 41

All patients with a depressive episode(2)n = 31

All patients with a major depressive episode (intense)(3)n = 20

All patients with no psychiatric diagnosis n = 9

Gender

Female

34

29

21

13

5

Age

Mean/Range

52.8 [19–91]

50.6 [19–91]

48.8 [19–91]

45.8 [19–77]

62 [40–84]

Job

Professional activity

26

22

17

11

3

Socio- professional class

Low income

19

17

11

7

2

Intermediate to high income/

15

12

11

9

3

retirement

16

12

9

4

4

Marital status

Living together/Married

21

15

17

4

8

Single, Divorced, separation

19

17

15

12

0

Widowed

10

9

9

4

1

 

Relational conflicts in family

18

17

15

11

1

Current context

Disability (official status)

8

6

5

3

2

Social loneliness/Socially isolated patient

5

5

5

5

0

Work-related problems

17

14

10

5

3

Legal problems/Current legal situation

4

4

4

4

0

Recent bereavement/Recent death in the entourage

12

9

9

5

3

Position of family care giver

7

7

5

3

0

Patient physically or psychologically dependent

7

7

6

4

0

Facing discrimination

5

5

4

2

0

Current tobacco consumption

14

12

10

6

2

Excessive alcohol consumption

3

3

2

2

0

Other addictions (Opiates, gambling, etc.)

6

5

4

3

1

Substitution therapy (methadone, buprenorphine)

1

1

1

1

0

Number of contextual factors by patient Mean/Range

2.1 [0–6]

2.31 [0–6]

2.7 [0–6]

2.6 [0–6]

1.33 [0–4]

Past history of patient

Past history of suicide attempt

6

6

4

3

0

Tobacco consumption

18

15

12

8

3

Past history of excessive alcohol consumption

7

6

5

5

1

Other addictions (e.g. opiates, gambling)

4

3

4

3

1

Past history of depression (different from current episode)

19

18

14

8

1

Past history: Hospitalised in psychiatric service, whatever the reason

5

5

3

2

0

Family with psychiatric conditions

10

9

5

5

1

Past history of AD prescription

23

22

15

9

1

Child abuse

5

4

3

3

1

Number of past history factors by patient

2.1 [0–6]

2.1 [0–6]

2.3 [0–6]

2.0 [0–9]

1 [0–3]

Ongoing, non-psychiatric conditions

Isolated sleeping problems

6

2

0

0

4

Dementia

2

1

0

0

1

Specific neuropathic pain

3

1

1

1

2

Sciatic pain

3

3

2

2

0

Migraine

3

2

1

0

1

Fibromyalgia

3

1

1

1

2

Musculo-skeletal complaints or pain

16

14

13

7

2

Tension type headaches

7

7

4

3

0

Isolated fatigue

10

9

7

3

1

Functional gastro-intestinal complaints: Irritable bowel syndrome

12

9

6

0

3

Sexual dysfunction, premature ejaculation

5

4

3

3

1

Enuresis, incontinence

3

3

3

2

0

Other chronic disease (e.g. Diabetes type 2)

35

25

19

11

7

Chronic low back pain

6

5

2

2

1

Number of non-psychiatric conditions by patient Mean/Range

2.28 [0–7]

2.09 [0–7]

1.75 [0–6]

2.0 [0–7]

2.77 [1-5]

Ongoing non-psychiatric reasons

Chronic diffuse complaints

12

12

10

6

0

Unexplained complaints

13

11

8

3

2

Diffused pain

8

7

4

2

1

All reasons and conditions by patient Mean/Range

4.1 [ 1-9 ]

4.2 [ 1-9 ]

3.9 [ 1-9 ]

4.22 [ 1-9 ]

3.2 [ 1-5 ]

  1. 1All psychiatric conditions, including symptoms of depression without all criteria for a major episode, all diagnoses of anxiety.
  2. 2All depressive episodes, whatever the intensity.
  3. 3Major depressive episodes only.