Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T03:21:36.944Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prevalence and impact of generalized anxiety disorder and major depression in primary care in Belgium and Luxemburg: the GADIS study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Marc Ansseau ,
Benjamin Fischler ,
Michel Dierick ,
Annick Mignon  and
Sophie Leyman
Marc Ansseau*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, CHU du Sart Tilman (B35), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Benjamin Fischler
Affiliation:
University Hospital St. Pierre, Brussels, Belgium
Michel Dierick
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Hospital St. Camillus, Ghent, Belgium
Annick Mignon
Affiliation:
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Sophie Leyman
Affiliation:
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
*
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +32 4 366 7960; fax: +32 4 366 7283. E-mail address: marc.ansseau@chu.ulg.ac.be (M. Ansseau).
Get access

Abstract

Purpose

GADIS aims at determining the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depression (MD) in primary care and their impact on the patient’s functioning in Belgium and Luxemburg.

Methods

A large scale screening program was conducted at the consultation of general practitioners to detect patients with GAD and MD according to DSM-IV criteria. We collected additional data regarding the use of hypnotic, tranquilizer, antidepressant and analgesic medications. Impact on the patient was assessed with the Sheehan disability scale.

Results

Three hundred GP’s in Belgium and Luxemburg were asked to screen 50 consecutive patients. Of the 13,677 analyzed patients, 8.3% were diagnosed to have GAD and 6.3% MD. Comorbidity was observed in 4.2% of patients. The prevalence was much higher in the French-speaking part of Belgium. GAD and MD were associated with impairment in social, familial and professional functioning. Only a minority of patients with GAD and/or MD was treated with an antidepressant and almost half of subjects with GAD and/or MD were treated with a tranquilizer.

Conclusions

Prevalence rates of GAD and MD in primary care in Belgium are comparable to other countries. GAD and MD are disabling conditions. Antidepressants are still used only in a minority of subjects with GAD and/or MD in primary care in Belgium and Luxemburg. The prevalence of GAD and MD appears to be much higher in French-speaking parts of Belgium.

Keywords

DepressionAnxietyPrevalencePrimary careImpairmentGeneralized anxiety disorderMajor depression
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , May 2005 , pp. 229 - 235
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier SAS 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ansseau, M, Dierick, M, Buntinckx, F, Cnoeckaert, P, De Snedt, J, Van Den Haute, Met al.High prevalence of mental disorders in primary care. J Affect Disord 2004;78:49–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Féline, A, Le Goc, ILes Benzodiazépines: prescription, consommation, addiction. Sem Hop 1985;61:3172–3175.Google Scholar
Gelenberg, AJ, Lydiard, RB, Rudolph, RL, Aguiar, L, Haskins, JT, Salinas, EEfficacy of venlafaxine extended-release capsules in nondepressed outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder. JAMA 2000;283:3082–3088.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gould, RA, Otto, MW, Pollack, MH, Yap, LCognitive behavioral and pharmacological treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a preliminary meta-analysis. Behav Ther 1997;28:200–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Katon, WJ, Walker, EAMedically unexplained symptoms in primary care. J Clin Psychiatry 1998;59(Suppl 20):15–21.Google ScholarPubMed
Kessler, RC, Du Pont, RL, Berglund, P, Wittchen, HUImpairment in pure and comorbid generalized anxiety disorder and major depression at 12 months in two national surveys. Am J Psychiatry 1999;156:1915–1923.Google ScholarPubMed
Legrain, M, Lecomte, TLa consommation des psychotropes en France et dans quelques pays européens. Bull Acad Natl Med 1997;181:1073–1084.Google Scholar
Maier, W, Gaensicke, M, Freyberger, HJ, Linz, M, Henn, R, Lecrubier, YGeneralized anxiety disorder (ICD-10) in primary care from a cross-cultural perspective: a valid diagnostic entity?. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2000;101:29–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ohayon, MM, Lader, MHUse of psychotropic medication in the general population of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. J Clin Psychiatry 2002;63:817–825.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ormel, J, Von Korff, M, Ustun, B, Pini, S, Korten, A, Oldehinkel, TCommon mental disorders and disability across culture: results from the WHO collaborative study on psychological problems in general health care. JAMA 1994;272:1741–1748.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pelissolo, A, Boyer, P, Lepine, JP, Bisserbe, JCEpidémiologie de la consommation des anxiolytiques et des hypnotiques en France et dans le monde. Encephale 1996;22:187–196.Google Scholar
Pestiaux, JL, Marques, M, Ketser, F, Prévost, M, Peters, AReprésentation populaire et consommation de tranquilisants. Union Nationale des Mutualités Socialistes, Promotion de la Santé; 1990Google Scholar
Reggers, J, Ansseau, M Lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders in the Liège study: preliminary results. Abstracts of the VIII Congress of the International Federation of Psychiatric Epidemiology 1999Google Scholar
Sartorius, N, Ustun, TB, Lecrubier, Y, Wittchen, HUDepression comorbid with anxiety: results from the WHO study on the psychological disorders in primary health care. Br J Psychiatry 1996;168(Suppl 30):38–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sheehan, DV, Harnett-Sheehan, K, Raj, BAThe measurement of disability. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 1996;11(Suppl 3)89–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sheehan, DV, Lecrubier, Y, Sheehan, KH, Amorim, P, Janavs, J, Weiller, EThe Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI): the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. J Clin Psychiatry 1998;59(Suppl 20):22–33.Google ScholarPubMed
Simonds, VM, Whiffen, VEAre gender differences in depression explained by gender differences in comorbid anxiety?. J Affect Disord 2003;77: 197–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Souetre, E, Lozet, H, Cimarosi, I, Martin, P, Chigon, JM, Adès, JCost of anxiety disorders: impact of comorbidity. J Psychosom Res 1994;38: 151–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ustün, TB, Sartorius, NMental illness in general health care: an international study Chichester: Wiley; 1995.Google Scholar
Weiller, E, Bisserbe, JC, Maier, W, Lecrubier, Yet al.Prevalence and recognition of anxiety syndromes in five European primary care settings: a report from the WHO study on psychological problems in general health care. Br J Psychiatry 1998;173(Suppl 34):18–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wittchen, HUGeneralized anxiety disorder: prevalence, burden and cost to society. Depression Anxiety 2002;16: 162–171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wittchen, HU, Zhao, S, Kessler, RC, Eaton, WWDSM-III-R generalized anxiety disorder in the national comorbidity survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1994;51: 355–364.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.