Screening and treatment of depression – recommendations for Polish health professionals

Abstract

Introduction: Epidemiological data clearly indicate that depression is becoming an increasingly important health and social problem today. Depressive disorders occur at all ages, in men and women, in different cultures, affecting individuals, their families, and, more broadly, the social and economic system of the country. The gap between the recorded number of treated patients and the prevalence of depression highlights the scale of unmet needs. With limited availability of specialists in psychiatric care, the most appropriate measures seem to be those aimed at increasing the competence of other health professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of depression. Material and methods: An overview of the literature and available recommendations for the prevention, screening, and treatment of depression was performed. This work was commissioned by the Polish Ministry of Health under the Depression Prevention Program 2016–2020. Results: Based on the literature review, we compiled the recommendations for Polish health professionals. These recommendations focus on the management of depression in the primary care setting and provide guidelines for health professionals other than psychiatrists concerning the prevention, screening, and treatment of depression. Conclusions: We developed a clear recommendation for non-psychiatrists concerning the screening, treatment, and further management of patients with depression. Early detection of depression and implementation of treatment improves the outcomes and prognosis and reduces the mortality rate.