The screening and treatment of undiagnosed depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a general practice.

Aims And Objectives: To screen for, and to treat, depression in COPD patients in a general practice surgery, and to test the feasibility of the screening method.

Methods: We sent The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) Short-Form Questionnaire to all patients on the COPD register (n=69) by post, excluding those already diagnosed with depression (n=3). We sent appointments to all responders with moderate to severe depression and offered them treatment including antidepressants and pulmonary rehabilitation if the diagnosis was confirmed.