Counseling for depressed patients

Description

The probability of developing depression at some point in your life is 16 to 20 percent. Despite the high prevalence of this mental illness, it is still a taboo subject for those affected and their families. "You're not mentally ill, you just have to pull yourself together." This is still the common opinion of many people. But it can affect anyone. The outbreak of the illness is caused by a multifactorial process.

It is not always easy for us to deal with these patients in everyday pharmacy work. It is not only the advice on complex drug therapy, but also the correct approach to patients that presents us with major challenges. This topic section is intended to provide you with knowledge about the illness of unipolar depression, the various treatment options, the medication and the most important advice tips for daily practice.

Potential conflicts of interest can be found in our Transparency declaration

Learning objectives

After you have completed this topic...

• you have acquired basic knowledge about depression: you know the frequency and causes, the pathophysiology and the diagnosis
• are familiar with the non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment of depression
• you are familiar with the most important classes of antidepressants
• know how to address depressed patients in the pharmacy and how to promote adherence