The Singapore Family Physician

Back to issue Vol 36 No. 1 - Psychiatry Updates

Depressive Disorder: Management in Primary Care

Kua Ee Heok
The Singapore Family Physician Vol 36 No 1 - Psychiatry Updates
19 - 21
1 March 2010
0377-5305
Depressive disorder affects the quality of life, increases the economic burden from cost of treatment or loss of employment, and may lead to suicidal tendency. Depressive disorder is the commonest psychiatric problem in primary care practice. However, it is often undetected and the under-diagnosis is partly because the depressed person is preoccupied with physical complaints of pain or aches, this could mislead the attending doctor. The early symptoms of depressive disorder are low mood, loss of energy, anhedonia, poor sleep, poor appetite and loss of interest in work or activities (Table 1). These symptoms will be present daily and may affect quality of life