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Mark Zoccolillo, MD

JAMA. 1988;260(17):2560-2561.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

The article by Clark and Zeldow¹ demonstrates the burden of depression during medical school. The authors used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a self-report depression scale, and found at least 12% of the class with self-reported depression at any assessment during the first three years. As the authors note, the relationship between elevated BDI scores and the psychiatric diagnosis of major depression is an imperfect one. The distinction between a high score on the BDI and a diagnosis of major depression (a syndrome consisting of persistent depressed mood or loss of interest and several symptoms such as sleep or appetite disturbance, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and suicidal thoughts or attempts)² is important, as major depression is associated with high morbidity and suicide; the clinical significance of elevated BDI scores, in the absence of a major depression, is unknown. In a study in which first- and second-year medical students were . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Amarillo

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