05/10/2002
(HARTFORD, Conn.) -- Relatively few physicians routinely
ask their adolescent patients about depression and suicide,
according to researchers at Saint Francis Hospital and
Medical Center.
"This is disturbing, considering the widespread nature of
depression and suicide among adolescents," said Aric
Schichor, M.D., the hospital's director of adolescent
medicine, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The CDC study
reported that more than 20 percent of the youths surveyed
had seriously considered attempting suicide, that more than
15 percent had made a specific plan to attempt suicide and
that 7 percent had actually attempted to commit suicide in
the previous year.
Dr. Schichor's nationwide survey of pediatricians and
family physicians found that 30 percent routinely asked
adolescents about depression and only 11 percent routinely
inquired about suicide. The findings were presented recently
at the annual meeting of the Society for Adolescent
Medicine.
Less than half of the physicians surveyed by Dr. Schichor
indicated that they were comfortable in identifying
adolescent depression, even though three-quarters of them
had been trained in assessing and treating depression.
The survey of 111 pediatricians and 98 family physicians
found that pediatricians had significantly less training
than family physicians in dealing with adolescent depression
and suicide. However, neither group was more likely than the
other to discuss these issues with their patients.
"Those physicians who were more comfortable in
identifying depression among adolescents were much more
likely to question their patients about depression and
suicide," said Dr. Schichor.
According to Dr. Schichor, questions about depression and
suicide need to be part of every adolescent examination.
"Physicians should ask general questions like 'Do you feel
that your parents understand you?' and if the patient
answers 'No,' it's worth asking more in-depth questions," he
said.
In the survey, more than half of the responding
physicians noted that a lack of such resources as insurance
coverage and available child and adolescent psychiatrists
had impacted their decisions on depression and suicide
screening. In addition, those physicians who rarely or only
sometimes asked about depression were more likely to express
feelings of time constraints and discomfort over medicating
adolescent patients for the condition.
Founded in 1897, Saint Francis is licensed for 617 acute
inpatient beds and 65 bassinets and is the largest Catholic
hospital in New England.
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