ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The care standard 'Depressive disorders' describes the complete patient journey for patients with depressive symptoms and disorders from the age of 8 years onwards.
AIM: To describe the most important recommendations in this care standard.
METHOD: The care standard is an adaptation of the existing guidelines for depression, supplemented with practical knowledge from professionals and patients' values and preferences.
RESULTS: Core elements in the care for depression are an appropriate use of care and a focus on relapse prevention. A combination of psychotherapy and medication is indicated for persistent depression and more sessions of psychotherapy might be required. There is some evidence for the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in treatment-resistant depression.
CONCLUSION: The care standard is an important instrument to improve the quality of care for depression at both the organisational and the regional level.
Subject(s)
Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use , Combined Modality Therapy/methods , Depressive Disorder, Major/therapy , Psychiatry/standards , Standard of Care , Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant , Humans , Netherlands , Psychotherapy , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The multidisciplinary guidelines for depression, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder have been revised. They incorporate some important changes: algorithms are now based on the severity of the disorders, a 'stepped-care' approach is promoted, so-called basic interventions are required for each algorithm and so-called first-step interventions are advocated for mild disorders. Antidepressants are no longer indicated for mild disorders.
