The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Multicenter Study
Screening older people with musculoskeletal pain for depressive symptoms in primary care.
Older patients presenting to GPs with musculoskeletal pain are at high risk of having concurrent depression. ⋯ Older patients consulting their GP with musculoskeletal pain frequently have comorbid mental ill health. Ultrashort depression screening questions administered during the consultation miss a large number of those with depressive symptoms, including six out of eight patients with severe symptoms. An improvement in the performance of screening questions in this patient group or narrowing the definition of 'high risk' from all patients aged > or =50 years presenting with musculoskeletal pain could help to improve detection.