Management of depression in adults

A study by the World Health Organization ranked depression the fourth global burden of disease and found it to be the largest non-fatal burden of disease, with nearly 12% of total years lived with disability. 1 According to the cross sectional WHO world health survey, carried out in all regions of the world (60 countries), the one year prevalence of a depressive episode (international classification of diseases, 10th revision) was 3.2% (95% confidence interval 3.0% to 3.5%). In patients with several medical conditions the prevalence of depression exceeds that of the general population, 2 with 5-10% of patients affected in primary care and 10-14% of patients under general hospital care. The diagnosis and treatment of depression by general practitioners is not, however, always optimal. 4 5 We review the presentation and assessment of depression and discuss the options for its effective treatment and management.