Key Points The purpose of the psychiatric interview is to establish a therapeutic relationship with the patient in order to collect, organize, and synthesize data that can become the basis for a formulation, differential diagnosis, and treatment plan. A fundamental…
Key Points Background The doctor–patient relationship is a key driver of clinical outcomes—both in promoting desired results and in avoiding calamities. Clinical and Research Challenges Especially in psychiatry, the physician must understand and relate to the patient as a whole…
Thus far, this text has focused on the understanding and application of a broad range of interventions to improve outcomes in treatment-resistant depression. Understanding the breadth of psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions permits tailoring treatment to specific patient characteristics to ensure…
Introduction The management of suicide risk is often integral to the care of people with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Suicide is a major public health concern worldwide, and yet it is a problem that remains poorly understood. Suicide occurs across a…
Introduction There are several common circumstances in which treatments outside the traditional Western Allopathic medical tradition can be useful for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). While many patients benefit only partially from maximized medication and psychotherapy and desire additional evidence-based…
Introduction The lifetime risk for depression is greater in women than men ( ) and is especially high during female reproductive events including the perimenstrual, peripartum, and perimenopausal phases. The increased depression prevalence in women during reproductive transitions is hypothesized…
Scope of problem Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common, often recurrent or chronic illness associated with significant morbidity. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 4.4% of the global population suffers from depression. MDD is among the five…
Introduction According to the World Health Organization (WHO), bipolar or unipolar depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. Depression affects nearly 20% of the population with an increase of more than 18% having been observed between…
Medications targeting the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis Dysfunction in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is one of the most well-established biological alterations in psychiatry ( ). The first observations of an elevation in basal cortisol levels in patients with depression were made…
Acknowledgment Special thanks to Britt Gott, MS, for her editorial input and assistance with the compilation of this chapter. Introduction Fortunately, most individuals who suffer from major depressive disorder (MDD) respond to first-line antidepressant treatments [pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy; ( ;…