Assessment and management of depression

This article reviews the clinical assessment and management of depressive disorders. Depression is a common mental illness and presents in primary and secondary care settings. Depression often arises from an interaction between genetic, psychological, biological and social factors. One in eight patients with recurrent depressive disorder commits suicide. A process for clinical and risk assessment is presented. The identification of physical illnesses which can mimic or co-exist with depression is essential. A stepped care management approach, as recommended by NICE, is also discussed.