Volkskrankheit depression: improving the diagnosis and treatment

DGPPN responsible: For the first time combined treatment and care guidelines for unipolar depression

Depression is one according to the World Health Organization among the most common mental health problems at all. According to projections, the depression in the years 2030 in the industrialized countries will be ranked 1 the diseases from which people suffer. In Germany alone are already estimated five percent of the population, or about four million people affected.

Despite this high number of the widespread disease depression is not diagnosed in half of the cases and therefore often only insufficiently or not treated, although the treatment options have become more and more in recent years. To overcome the weaknesses in the supply and improve the scientific and medical expertise in diagnosis and treatment sustainably, the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology (DGPPN) has worked together with other institutions and organizations a new evidence-based guideline for unipolar depression ,

In addition to the DGPPN, experts from a total of 28 medical specialist societies and organizations as well as representatives from two patient organizations were involved in this project, which ran for more than three years. The initiative for this came from the DGPPN, which also primarily took on the financing. Further funds were made available by the participating specialist societies and professional associations. The so-called consultation version of the S3 guideline/NVL for unipolar depression is now available. Until August 28, 2009, interested members of the public and experts in the field have the opportunity to comment on these guidelines or to submit suggestions for additions or changes.

According to the rules agreed within the framework of the Association of Scientific and Medical Societies (AWMF), treatment guidelines from medical specialist societies are given the predicate S3 guideline if, in addition to the experience of the experts, they particularly take into account the current knowledge from clinical studies. If these guidelines also take into account all aspects of care and are the responsibility of the medical self-government, then one even speaks of "national care guidelines" (NVL). National health care guidelines are evidence-based medical decision-making aids for structured medical care.

The guideline on unipolar depression that is now available is the first project in which an S3 guideline was developed at the same time as a national health care guideline. In 107 evidence-based recommendations and statements, the procedure for the medical care of the disease and the cooperation of the actors at the interfaces of care are described. A broad consensus was reached with the inclusion of the S3 guideline in the program for national health care guidelines. The program for national care guidelines is sponsored by the German Medical Association (BÄK), the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) and the Working Group of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF). The Medical Center for Quality in Medicine (ÄZQ) was commissioned to carry it out. Experts from various organizations work together on selected clinical pictures in order to present appropriate and evidence-based medical care as part of the structured care of chronically ill people.

Source: Aachen [ DGPPN ]