Prevalence of depressive disorders in a primary care setting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: A cross-sectional epidemiological study

Objective This research was conducted to identify the prevalence and associated factors of depressive disorders, as well as evaluate the recognition rate of general practitioners in detecting these mental health issues in primary care. Method Five hundred and twelve participants (55.3% female, mean age = 46.35 years) were assessed by psychiatrists based on the DSM-5 clinical procedures over a two-month survey in a primary care facility in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Results There were 15.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.9-19.2) of the population having depressive disorders, with major depressive disorder being the most prevalent subtype at 8% (95% CI 5.9-10.6). General practitioners could detect depressive disorders in 2.5% of all cases (95% CI .5-7.7). Significantly linked with depressive disorders in multivariable analysis were Chinese ethnic or other minority races (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] = 4.10, 95% CI 1.04-16.12), and low economic status (aOR = 5.41, 95% CI 1.29-22.59). Conclusions The high prevalence of depressive disorders in outpatients of primary care clinics may raise the awareness of the practitioners about screening and other appropriate actions to tackle the issue.

Automated summary

This study identified a high prevalence of depressive disorders in primary care clinics in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, but a low recognition rate by general practitioners.