Health status, resource consumption, and costs of dysthymic patients in Italian primary care

Aims - To describe the health status, resource consumption and costs of patients with dysthymic disorder in the Italian primary care setting. Methods - A total of 79 general practitioners (GPs) participated the study. Diagnosis was based on each GP's clinical assessment. At entry the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used as a supporting diagnostic aid. Health status was measured with the SF-36 questionnaire. Resource consumption and costs regarded the six months before enrolment. Results - Out of 598 patients enrolled by GPs according to their clinical assessment, 503 fulfilled the MINI criteria and 95 did not. The latter had a better perception of their health than the former. Resource consumption was similar in the two groups; and the total per patient six-month costs did not differ significantly. Conclusions - The study confirms there may be a gap between standardised criteria for defining dysthymia and everyday clinical practice. All dysthymic patients diagnosed by GPs might be considered together from a health policy perspective.