ABSTRACT
Depression is the most common and costly mental health problem seen in general practice. It is the third most common cause of consultation in a primary care setting, but there is a controversy as to whether this increase reflects a real increase in incidence or a greater awareness and identification of the condition. Depression is a change in mood and behaviour characterised by feelings of sadness, loss of enjoyment of life, low energy, poor motivation and low self-worth. Depression affects 121 million people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of disability in the world. The prevalence of major depression among community-dwelling older adults ranges from 8% to 16%. Depression increases the risk for both social and physical disability. The aim of the Quality and Outcomes Framework is to improve the targeting of anti-depressants by incentivising general practitioners to use a validated measure of severity tool.
