Managing depression in physical illness

This is a substantial revision of a previous module by Dr Siobhán MacHale and Dr Roger Smyth. The authors acknowledge their contribution.

Depression is more common in people with physical health problems than in the general population. However, the diagnosis is often missed or the treatment is inadequate.

This module aims to help general psychiatrists in the diagnosis and management of depression in people with significant physical illness.

In this module we will look at:

• the relationship between physical and depressive illness,
• how to recognise depression in people with physical illness,
• ways to manage and treat depression in physically ill patients,
• prescribing in physical illness.