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Quick Reference For Health Care Providers Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Date: 19 March 2012
Key Messages
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a significant mental health problem that disrupts a person's mood and affects his psychosocial and occupational functioning.
It is often under-recognised and 30-50% of MDD cases in primary care and medical settings are not detected.
Suicide occurs in up to 15% of hospitalised patients with severe MDD.
Management of MDD is either non-pharmacological and/or pharmacological according to severity of the disorder.
Non-pharmacological treatment of MDD includes supportive therapy, problem-solving therapy, counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT) and computerised CBT (CCBT).
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) should be considered as the first line if medication is indicated.
Clinicians may consider prescribing benzodiazepines as an adjunct to antidepressants. Avoid giving them alone, and they should not be given for more than 2 to 4 weeks as far as possible.
This Quick Reference provides key messages and a summary of the main recommendations in the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) Management of Major Depressive Disorder (2007).
Please download the Quick Reference For Health Care Providers below...
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