Screening for Depression in Clinical Practice: An Evidence-Based Guide

Mood disorders are a global health issue. National guidance for their detection and management have been published in the US and in Europe. Despite this, the rate at which depression is recognized and managed in primary and secondary care settings remains low and suggests that many clinicians are still unsure how to screen people for mood disorders. Against the backdrop of this problem, the editors of this volume have designed a book with a dynamic two-fold purpose: to provide an evidence-based overview of screening methods for mood disorders, and to synthesize the evidence into a practical guide for clinicians in a variety of settings--from cardiologists and oncologists, to primary care physicians and neurologists, among others. The volume considers all important aspects of depression screening, from the overview of specific scales, to considerations of technological approaches to screening, and to the examination of screening with neurological disorders, prenatal care, cardiovascular conditions, and diabetes and cancer care, among others. This book is sure to capture the attention of any clinician with a stake in depression screening.

Table of Contents:
1: Is the Syndrome of Depression a Valid Concept? 2: Overview of Depression Scales and Tools 3: Why Do Clinicians Have Difficulty Detecting Depression? 4: How Can Existing Mood Scales Be Improved: How to Test, Refine, and Improve Existing Scales 5: How Do We Know when a Screening Test is Clinically Useful? 6: Clinical Judgment and the Influence of Screening on Decision Making 7: Implementing Screening as Part of Enhanced Care: Screening Alone is Not Enough 8: Technological Approaches to Screening and Case Finding for Depression 9: Screening for Depression in Primary Care: Can it Become More Efficient? 10: Screening for Depression in Medical Settings: Are Specific Scales Useful? 11: The Case Against Excluding Somatic Syndrome 12: Screening for Depression in Neurological Disorders 13: Screening for Depression in Cancer Care 14: Screening for Depression in Perinatal Settings 15: Screening in Cardiovascular Care 16: Screening in Diabetes Care: Detecting and Managing Depression in Diabetes 17: Commentary and Integration: Is it Time to Routinely Screen for Depression in Clinical Practice? Appendix Index

Review :
"This is an excellent resource for physicians on screening for mood disorders. All physicians who encounter patients suffering from depression in their clinical practice would benefit those patients by using the information in this first-rate book."--Doody's "This book comes across as a breath of fresh air...I was deeply impressed by its standards for evidential veracity." --JAMA "Screening for Depression in Clinical Practice, which reviews the current body of knowledge on mental health screening in the medical setting, is a reference text written primarily for the consultation-liaison specialist, but it will be of use to the general psychiatrist and the interested primary care physician or medical specialist." -- Psychiatric Times "The book represents a highly relevant, evidence-based contribution to the field. It is well written, kept in a sound and plain medical language and enriched by an exhaustive reference-list. I strongly recommend this book to all health professionals and policymakers with an interest in screening for depression or the clinical treatment of the depressive disorder per se." -- ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA "Overall, the book uses a stringent, evidencebased empirical approach to provide an up-to-date and authoritative overview of screening for depression in clinical practice. The book is well-edited and all of the chapters follow the same format, with an introductory highlight of chapter sections and a brief abstract. Nevertheless, clinicians and researchers interested in depression screening and intervention in medical settings will find the book to be of considerable value." -- Psycho-Oncology