Diagnosis and treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in GP practice Review article

Abstract

Depressive and anxiety disorders are nowadays the most common chronic psychiatric disorders, its diagnosis and treatment is the competence of family doctors. The family doctors have the best chance to find the symptoms of the disease, make decision to initiate the therapy, and, in difficult cases, refer the patient to a specialist. Depression is a systemic disease affecting life of the patient and his family, including the symptomatology of somatic diseases (pain syndromes, stenocardia, arrhythmias and gastric ailments). This disease should be treated at an early stage. It is a serious mistake both to ignore the symptoms and conservatively refer all patients for specialist consultation, without first attempting to start therapy. A large group of patients will simply not take advantage of this option and will be left without treatment.