This image summarises the increased risk that the presence of depressive symptoms confers on an individual for developing a variety of comorbid conditions. Many of these relationships are thought to be bidirectional – i.e., one increases the chances of the other and vice versa – and this complexity reinforces the need for integrated models of care that take into account the patient as a whole.
MDD=major depressive disorder
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Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric condition with significant individual and socio-economic burden. Despite the broad availability of numerous effective therapeutic interventions, up to 30% of patients fail to achieve adequate symptom relief and are classified as having treatment-resistant depression (TRD). TRD represents a significant clinical challenge, affecting approximately 30% of individuals with MDD who fail to respond to at least two adequate antidepressant trials.
Sequential treatment optimization scheme for major depressive disorder generated according to international evidence.
Key steps for managing factors that may confound antidepressant treatment response, including dose, side effects, comorbidities, stressors, adherence, pharmacogenomics, interactions, and treatment algorithms.