TREATMENT OF MAJOR DEPRESSION IN PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENT CARE - POSITION OF NEW ANTIDEPRESSANTS

Treatment of major depression in standard clinical practice has been a n underexamined topic. We studied the management of major depression i n psychiatric outpatient care with special reference to the position o f the new antidepressants. We sent questionnaires concerning treatment practice of major depression to 255 physicians (of whom 216 returned questionnaires) in communal psychiatric outpatient care covering all F inland. In general, clinical features of the illness, not the physicia ns' characteristics, seemed to determine which antidepressants they ch ose. Nearly 75% of the physicians chose the new antidepressants mainly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors - as the first-line drugs . This breakthrough seemed to be connected with their low side-effect profile. Drug compliance of antidepressants is the crucial point in th e pharmacotreatment of major depression in standard clinical practice. These data also raise some concern about the possible overuse of the new antidepressants in psychiatric outpatient care.