PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Robert A. Marlow AU - Cynthia L. Kegowicz AU - Kimberly N. Starkey TI - Prevalence of Depression Symptoms in Outpatients with a Complaint of Headache AID - 10.3122/jabfm.2009.06.070098 DP - 2009 Nov 01 TA - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine PG - 633--637 VI - 22 IP - 6 4099 - http://www.jabfm.org/content/22/6/633.short 4100 - http://www.jabfm.org/content/22/6/633.full SO - J Am Board Fam Med2009 Nov 01; 22 AB - Purpose: This case-control study was designed to determine whether adults who present to a primary care office with a chief complaint of headache have more reported symptoms of depression than adults presenting with other problems.Methods: Adult, English-speaking patients who presented to a primary care office with a chief complaint of headache were matched to adult patients of the same age and sex who presented with problems other than headache. All participants completed the PRIME-MD 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire as a screen for depression.Results: A total of 200 participants entered the study. The mean age of the participants was 43.8 years (range, 18–87 years). Women constituted 84% of the participants. Of those patients who presented with headache, 32% had a likelihood of possible major depressive disorder compared with 12% in the patients presenting without headache.Conclusions: Almost one-third of adult patients who present to a primary care office with a complaint of headache report moderate symptoms of depression when screened compared with approximately 10% of patients presenting with a complaint other than headache. Given such a high prevalence of these symptoms, primary care physicians should screen all adult patients who present with headache for depression.