Basic scientific issues in clinical research of depressive disorder / 四川精神卫生

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to explore the two critical issues， clinical diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorder. As the most prevalent and prominent psychiatric disorder， it is an urgent clinical issue to be addressed in terms of accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. The article explores four dimensions， the current state and confusion in clinical diagnosis versus treatment， with emphasis on the treatment of depressive disorder. Despite the difficulties， Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression （STAR*D） study proclaims that the existing therapies results in clinical cures in two-thirds of evaluable patients. As research continues， new theories and hypotheses are being proposed and many new drugs are being developed， offering hope especially for patients with refractory depression and acute depression.