A Narrative Review of Prevalence of Depression in Patients with Chronic Medical Illnesses in Mazandaran Province, Iran

Depression is widely reported in patients with physical illness, but its prevalence varies in studies and differs from one disease to another. In patients with depression, severity of symptoms may be different in various medical conditions and responses to treatment. We aimed to systematically (a) compare the prevalence of depression between medical illness patients and mentally healthy subjects, (b) assess whether there is an independent association between medical illness and depression, (c) identify associated factors used in interventions (d) and review the relationship between depression and baseline disease severity and treatment outcomes. We studied 24 researches that had examined medical illness and depression in Mazandaran province, Iran. The prevalence of possible depression in patients with physical illness ranged from 13.1 to 67.4%, depending on diagnostic methods and sensitivity of various depression scales. Depression was found to have a negative influence on the outcomes of physical illness and treatment response. The significant outbreak of mental disorders, especially depression in patients with physical illness, and the negative impact of mental disorders on the control and treatment of diseases call for regular psychiatric counseling.