PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Abebaw Yohannes TI - General practitioners' views about managing depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease DP - 2011 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - p4626 VI - 38 IP - Suppl 55 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4626.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4626.full SO - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38 AB - Introduction: Depression is common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD patients consult their general practitioners at least once or twice a year because of acute exacerbations. There is little data available on the management of depression in patients with COPD.Aims: The study investigated general practitioners (GP's) views about recognising and treating depression in patients with COPD.Methods: We conducted a postal survey of 3,957 GP's in England about their views on recognising and treating depression in patients with COPD. The survey examined the GP's views using a likert scale (0 = strongly disagree, 2 = neither agree or disagree, 4 = strongly agree). The questions were prioritising treatment, value of screening for depression, difficulty of treating depression, best way of treating depression, depression exacerbates and interferes self-managment of COPD.Results: 3,957 general practitioners were mailed. Of these, 857 (22%) complete responses were received. Seventy-two percent of GPs agree screening for depression regularly, 9% disagree and neutral 19%. Prioritising treatment of COPD symptoms over depression disagree 21%, neutral 46% and 33% agree. Convincing COPD patients that depression needs treatment: disagree 27%, neutral 30% and agree 43%. Depression exacerbates COPD symptoms: disagree 9%, neutral 24%, and agree 67%. Depression impairs self-management of COPD: disagree 4% and agree 96%.Conclusions: Most GPs reported the importance of screening for depression regularly and depression impedes the self-management of COPD. Over two-fifths of the GPs find it difficult to convince patients to offer treatment. Further studies are required.