Aspects of common mental disorders in primary care

Depression and anxiety disorders are common in the general population. Primary care is the first line of care for people with common mental disorders. This doctoral project investigated aspects of common mental disorders, including diagnostic procedures and interventions in primary care. Study I was an observational study of 480 people in the regions of Stockholm and Västra Götaland on sick leave for common mental disorders. It used structured psychiatric interviews (M.I.N.I.) and symptom severity scales (MADRS-S, KEDS) to investigate the relationship between sick leave certificate diagnoses for common mental disorders and diagnoses made in the psychiatric interviews. It also examined length of sick leave by diagnoses on certificates, interview diagnoses, and symptom severity. Many participants fulfilled the criteria for mental disorders other than the sick leave certificate diagnosis. For example, 76% on sick leave for stress-induced exhaustion disorder (SED) and 67% on sick leave for anxiety disorder fulfilled the criteria for depression (p=0.041). Diagnoses on certificates were not associated with sick leave length. Fulfilling SED criteria was associated with longer sick leave (144 vs. 84 days, p