Evaluation and Treatment of Depression (Part I)

Abstract

Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, contributing to high medical expenditures, poor clinical outcomes, low productivity, and compromised quality of life. Efficacious treatments are available for the treatment of depression across a broad age range (children/adolescents to elderly). Care management initiatives that include these promising interventions ameliorate the impact of the disorder among patients receiving mental health services in primary care and behavioral healthcare settings. Part I of this two-part article series provides the reader with an overview of issues related to improving the treatment of depression. The approaches used to treat depression and strategies employed to evaluate treatment success are critical. Disease management is one strategy used for improving depression treatment that benefits the consumer and yields positive results for providers and payors.