Non-pharmacologica treatments for depression in primary care: an overview

摘要

Between 2 and 3 of the UK population experience depression in any year; a further 9 experience mixed anxiety and depression. The net costs of antidepressant medication in England alone in 2009 were just under pound300 million. This article discusses the range of non-pharmacological treatments available to patients with depression and their use. The assessment of depression is described in detail in another article in this special issue of InnovAiT. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends a stepped approach to treatment (Fig. 1) for depression, including the use of non-pharmacological treatments both alone and in combination with antidepressant drugs (NICE, 2009). The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) has produced a guideline overviewing the non-pharmacological management of depression in adults (SIGN, 2010).