The onset of depression in middle-aged presumed healthy Slovenian family practice attendees and its associations with genetic risk assessment, quality of life and health status : a contribution for family medicine practitioners' early detection

Jerala, Nina (author), Selič-Zupančič, Polona (author)

Despite depression being a major driver of morbidity and mortality, the majority of primary care patients remain undiagnosed, so this study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression and the association with demographic and clinical variables, genetic risk, and quality of life. The participants were presumably healthy model family medicine practice (MFMP) attendees between 30 and 65 years of age and recruited during a preventive check-up in 2019. Each of the 40 pre-selected MFMP pragmatically invited 30 attendees to voluntarily participate. They completed a questionnaire of demographic, clinical, and social determinants, as well as a three-generational family history. The results were analyzed using multivariable modelling to calculate the associations with signs of depression. A modified Scheuner method was used to calculate the level genetic risk level using family history. Of 968 participants, aged 42.8 ± 8.6 years, 627 (64.8%) were women. The prevalence of depression was 4.1%. Signs of depression were negatively associated with health-related quality of life score, in particular in the domains of self-care (p = 0.001) and anxiety/depression (p < 0.001). Depression was also associated with predicted high risk for comorbidities given the family history (p = 0.030). Primary care directed at improving patients’ quality of life should implement more widespread screening for mental health disorders. Family history for disease even beyond depression can be used by physicians as an important primary prevention tool.

• Language: English
• Keywords: depression, mental health, quality of life, health-related quality of life, family practice, middle-age, comorbidities, genetic risk, primary prevention
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 13 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 18, iss. 15, art. 8197
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135884
• UDC: 616.89
• ISSN on article: 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18158197
• COBISS.SI-ID: 72124931
• Publication date in RUL: 31.03.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of environmental research and public health
• Shortened title: Int. j. environ. res. public health
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1660-4601
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1818965

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 03.08.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: depresija, duševno zdravje, kakovost življenja

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: L7-9414
• Name: Razvoj algoritma za določanje genetskega tveganja na primarni ravni zdravstvenega varstva: novo orodje primarne preventive