Revised S3 guideline on depression to improve therapy

S3 Guideline Revised: Better Treatment for Depression
About every eighth adult suffers from a depressive disorder in the course of his life. Depression has long been a common disease. Within a year alone in this country over six million people are affected. The revised S3 guideline should help to further improve the therapy.

Depression has long been one of the common diseases
Depression has long been one of the most widespread diseases worldwide. In Germany alone, around 6.2 million people are affected within one year, reports the "Deutsches Ärzteblatt" on its website. Iris Hauth, President of the German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology (DGPPN), said that despite the importance of the disease, including absenteeism and early retirement, there are major shortcomings in the care of people with depression Presentation of the revised S3 guideline and simultaneous National Treatment Guideline "Unipolar Depression" in Berlin. Referring to the Health Check of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, the expert pointed out: "The treatment options for people with depression have improved significantly in recent years. Yet, three-quarters of people who suffer from severe depression do not receive treatment appropriate to their treatment; one-fifth even receives no treatment. "

The guidelines for the treatment of depression have been revised. (Image: Niki Love / fotolia.com)

Reduce deficits in the supply
The DGPPN has comprehensively revised and expanded the S3 guideline and / or national care guideline (NVL) together with 30 specialist societies, associations and organizations in order to reduce deficits in care and to improve knowledge about the causes, diagnostics and therapy of depression. The new guideline, which replaces the old one from 2009, is aimed at all occupational groups who - outpatient and inpatient - treat patients with unipolar depression. "The revision takes account of scientific and social developments," said Frank Schneider from the University Hospital Aachen. The guideline represents innovations in pharmacotherapy and psychotherapeutic procedures. "The new guideline, for example, specifically addresses the needs of older patients and the treatment of somatic and psychological comorbidity," said Schneider. "Basically, pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are not played out against each other."

Numerous innovations in the treatment guidelines
"For acute moderate to severe depression, we always recommend a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy," said Martin Härter, Director of the Institute and Polyclinic for Medical Psychology, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg -Eppendorf. Among other things, the guideline also includes the presentation of low-threshold psychosocial basic interventions that psychiatrists, general practitioners and psychotherapists can use before specific treatments, as well as the presentation of scientific evidence and recommendations on physical training and sport. Researchers have concluded that exercise works in a similar way to antidepressants. In addition, for the first time, a chapter on dealing with patients with a migrant background is integrated, which is certainly particularly useful since migrants are much more likely to be mentally ill. Having recently reported that depression affects 42 percent of pregnant women, it is also positive that the guidelines also renewed the topic of treatment for women in the peripartal period.

Short version for sufferers and relatives
"Representatives of all occupational groups involved in the treatment of patients with depression - and those affected - have systematically reviewed and critically examined literature in a very complex procedure and then jointly weighed which treatments are more or less promising in which situation," explained Corinna Schäfer from Medical Center for Quality in Medicine. The net version of the revised S3 Guideline and National Care Guideline "Unipolar Depression" is already available. In the next few months, the summary as well as the patient guideline specially developed for the affected and relatives will be finalized. (Ad)