Emilija Paukštytė1, Vytautas Raškauskas2
1Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine Clinic of Internal Diseases and Family Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania
2Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, Vilnius, Lithuania
Abstract
Background. Depression is a mental health illness that exacerbates a person’s disability and impairs quality of life. An increasing number of cases of mild depression have been diagnosed in primary care, but many of these are treated with antidepressants.
Excessive pharmacological treatment is prescribed when non-pharmacological treatment would be more appropriate or even more effective and less harmful.
Aim: to review the options for medication and non-medical treatment of mild depression in general practice by analysing research.
Materials and methods. The systematic review included articles that looked at treatments for mild depression and their effectiveness. Research studies were analysed using document analysis. The information is presented both in text and in tables.
Results. An examination of treatment options for mild depression in primary care and their effectiveness suggests pharmacological treatments should not be the first choice of treatment for isolated mild depression. Treatments such as psychotherapy, psychological counselling and exercise have more successful and longer-lasting outcomes, less side-effects, compared to pharmacotherapy.
Conclusion. For the treatment of mild depression in primary care, it is recommended that non-medication approaches should be prefered. When prescribing antidepressants for the treatment of mild depression, it is essential to offer the patient non-medication treatments to increase the likelihood of recovery and to prolong the duration of remission.
Keywords: mild depression, treatment, family physician, primary care.