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Objective: To assess the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among patients with somatic diseases in urban China. Method: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out in four major cities of China from June to August in 2004. There were 2111 eligible subjects with Stroke, Parkinson's Disease, Epilepsy, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Functional Dyspepsia, and Menopausal Syndrome, and 317 Post-natal women were recruited from general hospitals. Self-completed hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD) questionnaire was used for screening anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. Subjects with a HAD score of >=9 were further assessed with Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) by certified psychologists or psychiatrists. Results: The prevalence of "screened" depressive and anxiety symptoms using HAD were 11~19% and 11~22% respectively in patients with above somatic diseases and post-natal women. Assessed by HAMA/HAMD scale, the prevalence of "definite" depressive symptoms was 30%~59% in subjects with "screened" depressive symptoms, and 44%~84% in subjects with "screened" anxiety symptoms. About half of the subjects had co-morbidity depressive and anxiety symptoms. Less than one-fourth of these subjects had ever been diagnosed as depressive/anxiety disorders and been treated prior to the investigation. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence and low diagnosis and treatment rate of depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with these somatic diseases in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]