A generalist's guide to treating patients with depression with an emphasis on using side effects to tailor antidepressant therapy.

ABSTRACT: This review provides a guide to the primary care physician for diagnosing and managing depression. To identify relevant articles, a PubMed search (ending date parameter, October 15, 2009) was conducted using the keywords depression, antidepressants, side effects, adverse effects, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and sleep disturbance, and the reference lists of relevant articles were hand searched. This review explores the challenges in diagnosing depression that will and will not respond to antidepressants (ADs) and describes the value of 2-question screening instruments followed by in-depth questioning for positive screening results. It underscores the implications of veiled somatic presentations in which underlying depression is missed, leading to fruitless and expensive medical work-up

SUBMITTER: Bostwick JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2878258 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature