Diagnosing and Managing Clinical Depression : Clinical Depression

Depression is one of the commonest problems in clinical practice. It causes social occupational financial and interpersonal difficulties.  Moreover depression also causes increased medical morbidity and mortality through suicide accidents and worsening of medical problems such as cardiac diseases respiratory diseases and stroke.  Most people suffering from depression first go to their general physicians or family physicians.  However most physicians are very busy and preoccupied with general medical problems.  Moreover the general physician is not well acquainted with psychiatric problems.  This difficulty is further compounded by the fact that many medical illnesses may cause depression either directly or indirectly.Further the medical treatment of number of physical illnesses can be complicated by depression.  These many facets of depression are likely to pose a clinical problem or challenge to physicians and medical specialists.This book attempts to help medical specialists and general physicians by introducing them to current developments and fundamental skills in appropriately diagnosing and treating depression.