Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T19:34:55.057Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The clinical profile of dysthymia in a group of Latin American women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

CA León  and
A León
CA León
Affiliation:
Hospital Universitario del Valle, Unidad de Salud Mental, Apartado Aéreo 1418, Cali, Colombia
A León
Affiliation:
Hospital Universitario del Valle, Unidad de Salud Mental, Apartado Aéreo 1418, Cali, Colombia
Get access

Summary

More than half of all patients consulting at public health facilities in Cali, Colombia have been shown to present mental disorders, the majority of which were non-psychotic; there is a high female preponderance amongst the affective disorders. As in other developing countries, in Colombia depressive disorders tend to present as somatic complaints, rather than as mood disturbances. The nomenclature used to describe these disorders is poorly codified, with most patients classed as “neurotic” or “depressed”; the diagnosis of “dysthymia” is very seldom encountered. Mental disorders are frequently misdiagnosed in primary care settings; when identified, treatment of depression by GPs generally involves TCAs or MAOIs, sometimes in conjunction with anxiolytics or neuroleptics. Only very severe cases are referred to psychiatrists, and many patients purchase drugs upon the recommendation of a pharmacist. Diagnostic trends and treatment results of a comparative study of amisulpride and viloxazine carried out in 80 patients assessed by DSM III-R criteria are reported.

Keywords

dysthymiaLatin Americaaffective disordersantidepressantsamisulprideviloxazine
Type
Research Article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 8 , Issue 5: Worldwide therapeutic strategies in atypical depressive syndromes , 1993 , pp. 257 - 265
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adis Castro, GHernández Ureña, RAVíquez Carbajal, CAlvárenga Blanco, F (1968) Prevalencia de problemas de salud mental en Costa Rica. Centro de Investigaciones Psicologicas, Universidad de Costa RicaGoogle Scholar
Akiskal, HS (1983) Dysthymic disorder: psychopathology of proposed chronic depressive subtypes. Am J Psychiatry 140, 11–20Google ScholarPubMed
American Psychiatric Association, Committee on Nomenclature and Statistics (1987). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Revised third edition. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DCGoogle Scholar
Andreasen, NC (1984) Scale for the assessment of negative symptoms (SANS).Depart Psych College Med, University of Iowa, p 15Google Scholar
Bachini, OZabala, DMurguia, CTobler, CPupo, HVaghi, DSeigal, J (1970) Estudios epidemiologicos en psiquiatria en el Uruguay.In: Psiquiatria en la América Latina (Rosselli, H ed). Bogota, Tercer MundoGoogle Scholar
Boyd, JHWeissman, MM (1981) Epidemiology of affective disorders. Arch Gen Psychiatry 38, 1039–1046CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Canino, GBird, HRShrout, Pet al (1987) The prevalence of specific disorders in Puerto Rico. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44, 127–135CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Canino, GJBird, HShrout, PERubio-Stipec, MBravo, MMartínez, RSesman, MGuevara, LM (1987) The prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders in Puerto Rico. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44, 727–735CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Comstock, GWHelsing, KJ (1976) Symptoms of depression in two communities. Psychol Med 6, 551–563CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Craig, TJVan Natta, PA (1976) Presence and persistence of depressive symptoms in patient and community populations. Am J Psychiatry 133, 1426–1429Google ScholarPubMed
Craig, TJVan Natta, PA (1979) Influence of demographic characteristics on two measures of depressive symptoms: the relation of prevalence and persistence of symptoms with sex, age, education, and marital status. Arch Gen Psychiatry 36, 149–154CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dowrick, C (1992) Improving mental health through primary care. Br J Gen Pract 42, 382–386Google ScholarPubMed
Escobar, JIGómez, JTuason, VB (1983) Depression phenomenology in North and South American patients. Am J Psychiatry 40, 47–51Google Scholar
Escobar, JIRubio-Stipec, MCanino, GKarno, M (1989) Somatic Symptom Index (SSI): a new and abridged somatization construct. Prevalence and epidemiological correlates in two large community samples. J Nerv Ment Dis 177, 3, 140–146CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goldberg, D (1979) Detection and assessment of emotional disorders in a primary care setting. Int J Ment Health 8, 30–48CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamilton, M (1960) A rating scale for depression. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 12, 56–62CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harding, TWDe Arango, MVBaltazar, JCliment, CEIbrahim, HHALadrido-Ignacio, LSrinivasa Murthy, RWig, NN (1980) Mental disorders in primary health care: a study of their frequency and diagnosis in four developing countries. Psychol Med 10, 231–241CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Interdata (1993) Indice national de Terapéutica y Enfermedades. (Inte). Santa Fé de BogotáGoogle Scholar
Klein, DN (1990) Depressive personality: reliability, validity, and relation to dysthymia. J Abnorm Psychol 99, 412–421CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klerman, GLWeissman, MM (1989) Increasing rates of depression. JAMA 15, 261, 2229–2235CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koss, JD (1990) Somatization and somatic complaint syndromes among Hispanics: overview and ethnopsychological perspectives. Trans Psychiatric Res Rev 27, 5–29Google Scholar
León, CA (1967) Prevalencia de trastornos mentales en un sector urbano de Cali. Rev Col Psiq 2, 24–36Google Scholar
León, CA (1981) “Barefoot” researchers: the potential role of rural students as mental health promoters performing prevalence surveys. Bull Pan Am Health Org 15, 4, 361–369Google ScholarPubMed
León, CA (1983) Anxiety disorders: considerations from the perspectives of primary mental health care. Presented at the VII World Congress of Psychiatry, WPA, ViennaGoogle Scholar
León, CACliment, CEJaramillo, REstrada, H (1970) Evaluación de instrumentos para el estudio de la prevalencia de trastornos mentales.In: Estudios sobre Epidemiología Psiquiátrica en América Latina (Mariátegui, JAdis Castro, G eds). Acta, Buenos AiresGoogle Scholar
León, CAde Arango, MVArévalo, WCalvo, AMontoya, ALeón, A (1990) Comparación del efecto del alprazolam, la imipramina y placebo en el tratamiento del trastorno de pánico. Acta Psiquiat Psicol Am Lat 36, 59–72Google Scholar
León, CAVigoya, JConde, SCampo, GCastrillón, ELeón, A (1993) Comparative double-blind study on the use of amisulpride and viloxazine for the treatment of dysthymic disorders (in press)Google Scholar
Mariátegui, JAdis Castro, G (eds) (1970) Estudios sobre epidemiologiá psiquiátrica en América Latina. Acta, Buenos AiresGoogle Scholar
Mariátegui, JAlva, Vde León, O (1970) Prevalencia de desórdenes mentales en un distrito urbano de Lima.In: Psiquiatría en la América Latina (Rosselli, Hed). Bogota, Tercer MundoGoogle Scholar
Marsella, AJ (1980) Depressive experience and disorder across cultures.In: Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology (Triandis, HDraguns, J eds). Allyn and Bacon, BostonGoogle Scholar
Mezzich, JERaab, ES (1980) Depressive symptomatology across the Americas. Arch Gen Psychiatry 37, 818–823CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Micklin, MLeón, CA (1978) Life change and psychiatric disturbance in a South American City: the effects of geographic and social mobility. J Health Soc Behav 58, 97–111Google Scholar
Myers, JKWeissman, MMTischler, GLHolzer, CELeaf, PJOrvaschel, HAnthony, JCBoyd, JHBurke, JDKramer, MStoltzman, R (1984) Six-month prevalence of psychiatric disorders in three communities. Arch Gen Psychiatry 41, 959–967CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Radloff, LSRae, DS (1979) Susceptibility and precipitating factors in depression: sex differences and similarities. J Abnorm Psychol 88, 174–181CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robins, LNHelzer, JECroughan, Jet al (1981) National Institute of Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Arch Gen Psychiatry 38, 381–392CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robins, LNHelzer, JEWeissman, MMOrvaschel, HGruenberg, EBurke, JDRegier, DA (1984) Lifetime prevalence of specific psychiatric disorders in three sites. Arch Gen Psychiatry 41, 949–958CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rotondo, JAliaga, LPGarcía Pacheco, C (1963) Estudios de morbilidad psiquiátrica en la población urbana de Mendocita.In: Estudios de Psiquiatría Social en el Perú (Caravedo, BRotondo, HMariátegui, J eds). Ediciones del Sol, LimaGoogle Scholar
Secretaría Departamental de Salud del Valle. La Nueva Salud Pública, Una Empresa Social. Imprenta de la Secretaría Departamental de Salud del Valle. Cali, December 10 1991Google Scholar
Steele, RE (1978) Relationship of race, sex, social class and social mobility to depression in normal adults. J Soc Psychol 104, 37–47CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tarnopolski, ADel Olmo, GValdemarín, D (1970) Prevalencia de enfermedades mentales en el partido de Lanús.In: Estudios sobre epidemiología psiquiátrica en América Latina (Mariátegui, JAdis Castro, G eds). Acta, Buenos AiresGoogle Scholar
Weissman, MMKlerman, GL (1977) Sex differences and the epidemiology of depression. Arch Gen Psychiatry 34, 98–111CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weissman, MMMyers, JK (1978) Rates and risks of depressive symptoms in a United States urban community. Acta Psychiatr Scand 57, 219–231CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Widlócher, D (1980) L'évaluation quantitative du ralentissement psychoinoteur dans les états dépressifs. Psychol Méd 12, 2725–2729Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1975) Manual of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Injuries, and Causes of Death. World Health Organization, GenevaGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization (1986) Dose effects of antidepressant medication in different populations. J Affect Disord (suppl 2) S1–S37Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.