Medical Illness and Depression

Up to a third of patients with non-psychiatric medical conditions have concurrent depressive symptoms (Table 2). It therefore makes sense to routinely inquire how the patient’s illness or disability is affecting his or her life and relationships. Many patients assume that, unlike their physical health, their emotional well-being is of little or no interest to their primary care physician. However, once the question is raised, the resulting discussion can be cathartic and lead to more successful coping with symptoms.