Prevention of major depression in complex medically ill patients: preliminary results from a randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Depression is highly prevalent in patients with physical illness and is associated with a diminished quality of life and poorer medical outcomes.

Objective: The authors evaluated whether a multifaceted intervention conducted by a psychiatric consultation-liaison nurse could reduce the incidence of major depression in rheumatology inpatients and diabetes outpatients with a high level of case complexity.

Method: Of 247 randomized patients, the authors identified 100 patients with a high level of case complexity at baseline and without major depression (65 rheumatology and 35 diabetes patients).