Tratamento da depressão: cuidados primários ou especializados?

não deixa de ser interessante verificar que, dado o estigma e por vezes a ignorância, no que refere à doença depressiva, bem como a existência de recursos, ao nível das USFs, não especializados mas suficientemente qualificados,  o tratamento destas doenças na vertente dos cuidados primários poderá ser tão eficaz como aquele que é feito pelos cuidados psiquiátricos especializados...

Does Depression Matter?

retirado do artigo Keys to Successful Treatment of Depression in Primary Care CME

Thomas L. Schwartz, MD; Ann M. Sweet, RN, BS, NPC

At the outset, clinicians have to realize that major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common illness. MDD is highly comorbid with other common medical conditions and is often chronic in nature. Depressive comorbidity often worsens medical outcomes and increases healthcare utilization. The public health impact of MDD was noted in the Medical Outcomes Study, which determined that depression was more impairing in terms of patient functioning and well-being than arthritis, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, among others, and is more disruptive for social functioning than all of the chronic medical conditions compared in that study. Moreover, the Global Burden of Disease study suggests that by the year 2020, MDD will be the second leading cause of death and disability worldwide.
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Finally, MDD is likely the most frequently treated psychiatric disorder, and antidepressants may be some of the most frequently written medications in all of medicine. If clinicians fail to understand these initial key facts about MDD, then they will have greater difficulties seeing the reasons behind routine screening for its presence, and employing the eventual corresponding treatment options.

The positive news is that with systematic assessment and treatment, patients respond just as successfully to depression treatment in the primary care setting as in specialized psychiatry practices.