Abstract
Depressive disorders account for one in four cases of psychological disease developing in the population within a year. An important consideration for adequate treatment is timely and accurate diagnosis of these common conditions.
Recent data show that the temporal factor is of utmost importance in the treatment of depressive disorders. The sooner the patient responds to therapy, the more likely it is to achieve complete remission.
A critical role in the successful treatment of depressive disorders is played by patient adherence. The selection of the antidepressant can be made easier when following some general rules; in psychiatric practice, the selection is guided primarily by the spectrum of undesirable effects.
Therapy can be combined with the use of additional psychopharmaceuticals which eliminate some persistent symptoms or those induced by the side effects of antidepressant therapy.