IMPROVED PHARMACOTHERAPY OF MAJOR DEPRESSION IN PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENT CARE

We studied the ability of mental health care to treat major depression in accordance with given standards. The treatment procedures for 232 patients with first-episode major depression (DSM-III-R) in 3 study ye ars (1989, 1992, 1995) were circumstantially and retrospectively evalu ated from documents in community psychiatric outpatient care in Finlan d. In total, two-fifths of the patients received probably inadequate p harmacotreatment. However, there was a clear improvement in pharmacotr eatment of major depression during the study years. The adequacy of gi ven antidepressant medication was associated with high basic education of the patients, accuracy of diagnosis, and new antidepressants.