Treatment FAQ

what is the best initial treatment for a person with moderate to severe depression?

by Vincenza Johns Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Regular exercise can be as effective at treating depression as medication. Not only does exercise boost serotonin, endorphins, and other feel-good brain chemicals, it triggers the growth of new brain cells and connections, just like antidepressants do.

Antidepressant medication may be used as initial treatment modality for patients with mild, moderate, or severe major depressive disorder.

Full Answer

How to get rid of moderate depression?

Jan 05, 2022 · Here are some of the common ways to address depression. Talk Therapy One treatment option you may be offered is talk therapy — specifically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). According to an article published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, CBT can be an effective way to treat moderate depression in depressed patients.

What is the most effective medication for depression?

Oct 28, 2009 · Treatments for moderate or severe depression If you have moderate or severe depression, you should be offered both an antidepressant and a psychological treatment – this should be either cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (see the table on psychological treatments for depression). Taking an antidepressant

Which is an effective treatment for depression?

Apr 07, 2022 · For those with moderate to severe depression, the National Institute of Mental Health states that research shows a combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy is the best depression treatment. But what it really takes to effectively treat and manage depression symptoms is a comprehensive plan.

Is exercise the best treatment for depression?

Feb 03, 2018 · Medications and psychotherapy are effective for most people with depression. Your primary care doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe medications to relieve symptoms. However, many people with depression also benefit from seeing a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professional.

What is the most effective treatment for moderate to severe depression?

If you have moderate or severe depression, you should be offered both an antidepressant and a psychological treatment – this should be either cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (see the table on psychological treatments for depression).Oct 28, 2009

What is the first-line treatment for depression?

Choosing an antidepressant — For the initial treatment of severe depression, we use serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).Oct 21, 2021

What are the drug options for the treatment of moderate to severe depression?

Moderate to severe depressionAntidepressants. Antidepressants are medicines that treat the symptoms of depression. ... Combination therapy. A GP may recommend that you take a course of antidepressants plus talking therapy, particularly if your depression is quite severe. ... Mental health teams.

What is often a very effective treatment for severe depression?

Psychological counseling (psychotherapy) by a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professional can be very effective. For many people, psychotherapy combined with medication works best. It can help identify underlying concerns that may be adding to your depression.

What is the drug of choice for depression?

Antidepressants are a popular treatment choice for depression. Although antidepressants may not cure depression, they can reduce symptoms. The first antidepressant you try may work fine.

What is second line treatment for depression?

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors are considered second line due to tolerability and safety issues. Other adjunctive medications include atypical antipsychotics, lithium, adding a second antidepressant, buspirone, and thyroid hormone (T3) among others.Nov 30, 2020

What happens if ECT doesn't work?

If nothing else has helped, including ECT, and you are still severely depressed, you may be offered neurosurgery for mental disorder (NMD), deep brain stimulation (DBS) or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

What is lithium used for?

Descriptions. Lithium is used to treat mania that is part of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness).Feb 1, 2022

What is it called when medication doesn't work?

Treatment-resistant is a clinical term used to describe the situation when your condition doesn't respond to a prescription medication as expected – it may work partially, or not at all. Unfortunately, this is an all too common experience for patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

What are the two most common treatments for clinical depression?

There are many types of therapy available. Three of the more common methods used in depression treatment include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. Often, a blended approach is used.

What is a treatment used for severe depression when other approaches fail?

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a medical treatment most commonly used in patients with severe major depression or bipolar disorder that has not responded to other treatments.

What is the gold standard treatment for major depressive disorder?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy are the psychotherapeutic approaches that have the best documented efficacy in the literature for management of depression.

What are the areas of assessment?

Area to be covered in assessment include symptom dimensions, symptom-severity, comorbid psychiatric and medical conditions, particularly comorbid substance abuse, the risk of harm to self or others, level of functioning and the socio-cultural milieu of the patient.

Why is ECT used in continuation phase?

There are evidences to support the use of specific psychotherapy in continuation phase to prevent relapse. The use of other somatic modalities (e.g. ECT) may be useful in patients where pharmacology and/or psychotherapy have failed to maintain stability in continuation phase.

What to do after discontinuing treatment?

After the discontinuation of active treatment, patients shouldbe reminded of the potential for a depressive relapse. Patient may be again informed about the early signs of depression, and a plan for seeking treatment in the event of recurrence of symptoms may be formulated.

What is maintenance phase treatment?

The goal of maintenance phase treatment is to prevent recurrence of depressive episodes. On an average, 50-85% of patients with a single episode of major depression have at least one more episodes. Therefore, maintenance phase treatment may be considered to prevent recurrence.

What are the determinants of psychotherapy?

The major determinants of type of psychotherapy are patient preference and the availability of clinicians with appropriate training and expertise in specific psychotherapeutic approaches. Other clinical factors which will influence the type of psychotherapy include the severity of the depression.

What is the first line of antidepressants?

In general, because of the side effect and safety profile, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered to be the first line antidepressants. Other preferred options include tricyclic antidepressants, mirtazapine, bupropion, and venlafaxine.

What happens if a patient relapses after discontinuing medication?

If a patient suffers a relapse upon discontinuation of medication, treatments need to be promptly reinitiated. In general, the previous treatment regimen to which the patient responded in the acute and continuation phase are to be considered. MANAGEMENT OF TREATMENT RESISTANCE DEPRESSION.

What Is Moderate Depression?

Depression (also referred to as major depressive disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association) is a mental health condition that negatively affects the way you think, feel and act.

Symptoms of Moderate Depression

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, common mental and physical symptoms of depression include:

How is Moderate Depression Diagnosed?

Not all depressed patients experience every symptom. Symptoms may also fluctuate — meaning, you could notice certain ones sometimes, and others at different moments.

Treatment Options for Moderate Depression

If you suspect you may have moderate depression (or even mild depression or severe depression, really), you should contact a mental health professional.

Understanding Moderate Depression

Once the severity of depression is determined by an assessment of symptoms, your healthcare provider will talk to you about next steps. Chances are that means discussing treatment for depression.

What to do if ECT has not helped you?

If a course of ECT has not helped you, you should be offered another course only after all other possible treatments have been considered and your healthcare professional has discussed the advantages and disadvantages of treatment with you. Treatment for people with seasonal depression.

What to do if you have severe symptoms while taking antidepressants?

If you experience severe symptoms while your medication is being reduced or after you have stopped taking it, you should contact your healthcare professional. They might try you on your original dose, or try a similar antidepressant, before gradually reducing the dose again while monitoring your symptoms.

What is electroconvulsive therapy?

A course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT for short) is sometimes used as a treatment for severe depression if there is a risk to the person's life and urgent treatment is required, or for moderate or severe depression when all other treatments have not helped.

What is the best treatment for depression?

Treatments for moderate or severe depression. If you have moderate or severe depression, you should be offered both an antidepressant and a psychological treatment – this should be either cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (see the table on psychological treatments for depression).

How long does it take for an antidepressant to get better?

If you don't feel any better after 2 to 4 weeks, they should check that you have been taking the medicine as prescribed.

What to do if you have seasonal depression?

If you have depression that usually occurs in winter and gets better in the lighter months, your healthcare professional should offer you the same treatments (psychological treatment and/or antidepressants) as for other forms of depression.

How often should you check your lithium levels?

You should also have the lithium levels in your blood measured 1 week after starting lithium, every time the dose is changed and then every 3 months. If you are taking antipsychotic medication you should have your physical health checked, including your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels.

What is the best treatment for depression?

For those with moderate to severe depression, the National Institute of Mental Health states that research shows a combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy is the best depression treatment.

Who is Julie Fast?

Julie Fast, an award-winning author of many books and articles on depression, spells out in plain English, what it takes to recover from depression in a special HealthyPlace.com section entitled: " The Gold Standard for Treating Depression. " We highly recommend you read it.

Why do people use ECT?

ECT is usually used for people who don't get better with medications, can't take antidepressants for health reasons or are at high risk of suicide.

What is the term for depression that begins a week before your period?

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. This involves depression symptoms associated with hormone changes that begin a week before and improve within a few days after the onset of your period, and are minimal or gone after completion of your period. Other depression disorders.

What is the term for a disorder that develops during the teenage years?

This disorder typically develops into depressive disorder or anxiety disorder during the teen years or adulthood. Persistent depressive disorder. Sometimes called dysthymia (dis-THIE-me-uh), this is a less severe but more chronic form of depression.

What are the characteristics of a melancholic personality?

Melancholic features — severe depression with lack of response to something that used to bring pleasure and associated with early morning awakening, worsened mood in the morning, major changes in appetite, and feelings of guilt, agitation or sluggishness. Atypical features — depression that includes the ability to temporarily be cheered by happy ...

How to help depression?

But in addition to professional treatment, these self-care steps can help: Stick to your treatment plan. Don't skip psychotherapy sessions or appointments. Even if you're feeling well, don't skip your medications.

What is a specifier in psychology?

A specifier means that you have depression with specific features, such as: Anxious distress — depression with unusual restlessness or worry about possible events or loss of control. Mixed features — simultaneous depression and mania, which includes elevated self-esteem, talking too much and increased energy.

How to deal with depression and change behaviors?

Identify negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, positive ones. Explore relationships and experiences, and develop positive interactions with others. Find better ways to cope and solve problems. Identify issues that contribute to your depression and change behaviors that make it worse.

How long is a CBT session?

A typical course of CBT is around 12-16 weekly sessions of about 45 minutes each. During this time a person will learn to plan and complete activities that bring enjoyment and reward, and to change thought patterns that contribute to depression. article continues after advertisement.

Why do people choose not to take medication?

Some people decide against medication because of the side effects, while others choose to tolerate them because of the medication's benefits. While people often promote therapy as having "no side effects," this is not strictly true.

What is the best treatment for depression?

Based on these and other studies, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) recommends psychotherapy or medication as first-line treatments for mild to moderate depression; for individuals with more severe depression they recommend a combination of both. 2.

What are the side effects of Zoloft?

Some of the most common side effects associated with SSRIs–Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, etc.—are nausea, weight gain, agitation, insomnia, loss of sex drive, and difficulty reaching orgasm.

Is CBT better than medication?

However, for those with moderate to severe depression, getting both CBT and a medication leads to better outcomes than CBT alone —especially among those with chronic depression.

How long does a depression treatment last?

Thus the full course of treatment may last from 3 to 6 months, and longer in some cases if needed. The APA recommends that those with a long history of depression continue to receive therapy on an ongoing basis, often with a reduction in frequency of sessions.

What are the causes of depression?

The basic version of the theory was that depression was caused by low levels of neurotransmitters in the brain—chemicals like serotonin and norepinephrine. If these biological factors were driving depression, it made sense to assume that the best way to fix the underlying problem was with a biological solution.

Why do we need multiple treatment meta-analysis?

A multiple-treatments meta-analysis will allow us to be better informed about the options that are available and will allow development of treatment guidelines that reflect the best available evidence.

Is bupropion the same as fluoxetine?

Paroxetine (Paxil) and bupropion (Wellbutrin) are similar to fluoxetine in effectiveness and tolerability. Fluvoxamine and duloxetine (Cymbalta) are less effective than fluoxetine. See Table 1 for a comparison of antidepressants available in the United States. 2.

What are the practice guidelines and the quick reference guide?

The Practice Guidelines and the Quick Reference Guides are not in-tended to be construed or to serve as a standard of medical care.Standards of medical care are determined on the basis of all clinicaldata available for an individual patient and are subject to change asscientific knowledge and technology advance and practice patternsevolve. These parameters of practice should be considered guide-lines only. Adherence to them will not ensure a successful outcomefor every individual, nor should they be construed as including allproper methods of care or excluding other acceptable methods ofcare aimed at the same results. The ultimate judgment regarding aparticular clinical procedure or treatment plan must be made by thepsychiatrist in light of the clinical data presented by the patient andthe diagnostic and treatment options available. The development ofthe APA Practice Guidelines and Quick Reference Guides has notbeen financially supported by any commercial organization.

What is a QRG for treating major depressive disorder?

Treating Major Depressive Disorder: A Quick Reference Guide is asynopsis of the American Psychiatric Association’s Practice Guidelinefor the Treatment of Patients With Major Depressive Disorder, ThirdEdition, Part A of which was originally published in The American Jour-nal of Psychiatry in October 2010 and is available through AmericanPsychiatric Publishing, Inc. The psychiatrist using this Quick Refer-ence Guide (QRG) should be familiar with the full-text practice guide-line on which it is based. The QRG is not designed to stand on its ownand should be used in conjunction with the full-text practice guide-line. For clarification of a recommendation or for a review of the ev-idence supporting a particular strategy, the psychiatrist will find ithelpful to return to the full-text practice guideline.

When was the 3rd edition of Major Depression published?

Based on Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With MajorDepressive Disorder, Third Edition, originally published in October2010. A guideline watch, summarizing significant developments inthe scientific literature since publication of this guideline, may beavailable.

What Is Moderate Depression?

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While everyone feels down from time to time, depression is a serious mental health condition that can make it difficult to function normally. But depression can vary in intensity. How depression is experienced can vary from one person to the next, and the condition can also be classified as either mild, moderate, or severe. One surv…
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Symptoms

  • Moderately severe depression is marked by two main symptoms: persistent low mood and decreased interest in activities. Some of the other symptoms of depression include:3 1. Avoiding social activities 2. Changes in appetite 3. Decreased productivity 4. Despair and guilt 5. Difficulty concentrating 6. Difficulty sleeping 7. Excessive worry 8. Fatigue or lack of energy 9. Feelings of …
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Diagnosis

  • In order to diagnose your condition, your doctor may perform a physical exam, ask questions about your medical history, and conduct lab tests to help rule out any underlying medical conditions that might be causing or contributing to your symptoms. Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, is one condition that can lead to symptoms of depression, for example. You…
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Causes

  • Depression is very common. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the leading cause of ill health and disability globally.7 There is no single thing that causes depression. In reality, there are a number of factors that are thought to contribute to the onset of depression. Sex is one factor that can play a role since women experience depression at about twice the rate of …
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Treatments

  • Moderately severe depression may be treated with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two.
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