MONDAY, June 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Depression affects about one-third of hospital patients and could slow their recovery, according to research published recently in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
A review of 20 studies on depression screening in hospitals showed that 33 percent of patients had symptoms of depression.
The researchers found that patients with depression were less likely to take their medications and keep all recommended appointments after leaving the hospital, potentially leading to longer hospital stays and an increased risk of readmission, lead author Waguih William IsHak, M.D., an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said in a medical center news release.
"These findings suggest that depression screening may be feasible in the inpatient setting, and that more research is warranted to determine whether screening for and treating depression during hospitalization can improve patient outcomes," the authors write.
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