Recommendations For The Management Of Patients With Depression In General Clinical Practice

Depression is one of the biggest health problems. If patient has symptoms of depression, then the patient should be treated. Patients with depression have a four times higher risk of suicide than the general population, which worsens their physical health and overall quality of life. This is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, pain, alcohol abuse, smoking and illicit drug use. This determines the urgency of the problem of depression at the stage of primary care. A good family-patient relationship is essential in the treatment of depressed patients. In the practice of a general practitioner the prevalence of depression is 5%. Each year, two patients are hospitalized for depression, and one patient commits suicide every other day. The formation of the patient's attitude to the disorder depends on the correct assessment by doctor. There is a need for a clear ability to use various depression screening tools be general practitioners. This article discusses some available recommendations for depression management for primary health care physicians.