Feelings of depression can overwhelm people to the point where they lose their ability to carry out their usual activities.
Depression is a very common problem, but it often goes undetected and untreated.
Screening involves looking for depression in patients who see doctors for other reasons. Screening can improve the detection and, perhaps, treatment of depression. It is not known whether the costs of screening are worth its potential benefits, a concept known as cost-effectiveness . To estimate the cost-effectiveness of screening primary care patients for depression. Primary care patients are patients being seen for general and preventive medical care.