Recherche en médecine familiale et en sciences médicales
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Assessment of Family Physician's Adherence to the Egyptian Guidelines for Early Detection and Management of Depression in Family Practice Centers -Suez Canal University

Saad MM, Abdo HA*, Metwally TM

Background: Depression is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. Primary care physicians are the initial health care contact for most patients with depression to provide early detection and continuous management for depressed patient. Despite this opportunity, care for depression is often suboptimal.

Objective/Aim: To assess performance of family physicians for early detection and management of depression according to the Egyptian guidelines. Subjects and Methods: a cross sectional study, conducted on 55 family physicians in training working in academic family practice centers and outpatient family medicine clinic affiliated to Suez Canal university hospital. Comprehensive sample used according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study group conducted a semistructured questionnaire modified from the Egyptian guidelines and Meredith et al. developed by the researcher and revised by a psychiatrist.

Results: Regarding the adherence of family physicians to the Egyptian guidelines for diagnosis and management of depression, (70.9%) of the family physicians were not adherent, while (74.5%) were not adherent to the Egyptian guidelines regarding the prescription of antidepressant medications. The barriers to care of depressed patients include: 82% of the participants admitted low confidence in overall management of depression, 89% mentioned patient denial to see mental health professional and 80% of them considered that inadequate time to provide counseling or health education were the main barriers to providing optimum care.

Conclusion: the present study reveals that most of the family physicians participated in the study were poorly adherent to the Egyptian guidelines for early detection and management of depression. So, an intervention program including on job training to overcome addressed barriers to the best practice and knowledge gaps should be conducted.