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In a prospective observational study, researchers assessed the prevalence of depression in 114 women who presented to an urban tertiary care hospital emergency department (ED) during 1 year with chest pain and in whom ischemia or infarction had been excluded. Patients completed a 16-item validated depression questionnaire (the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology) and a structured interview about demographics, medical history, and health services utilization.
Thirty nine patients (34%) screened positive for depression (mostly mild depression), and 17 of these patients (44%) were already under psychiatric care. Patients without depression had significantly fewer ED visits for cardiac-type symptoms during the subsequent 6-month period …