Depressive disorders (DD) are common and disabling. Patients with DD often have to do a long way before seeing a mental health specialist.

To investigate characteristics of the period before hospitalization to psychiatric hospital of patients with DD.

To define clinical peculiarities of DD, investigations, treatment of depressive patients before hospitalization.

The RDC of ICD-10 and «Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Seasonal Affective Disorders Version» were used.

After informed agreement 102 patients with DD for the first time admitted to the psychiatric hospital were examined. The average duration of DD before psychiatric examination was 19,1 months (up to 312 months). The average number of visits to primary care (PC) was 3,6 (up to 49), the average number of investigations was 2,4 (up to 8). The most part of visits to PC felt at patients with heart complaints (р = 0,02), the less to patients with loss of energy (р = 0,0007). With the prolongation of DD the number of investigations, medications in PC and absence days increased (r > 0,2, р < 0,05). Patients with heart and gastrointestinal complaints had more investigations (р = 0,01; р = 0,03). 38,2% of patients were prescribed tranquilizers and only 23,5% antidepressants, but 54,2% of them had suboptimal dossages.

To summarize, in real clinical practice patients with DD still haven’t enough opportunities for early diagnostics and treatment. Systematic recognition of patient with DD, professional training of PC doctors of different specialities are cruicial.