Citation

Campagne DM. Semergen 2012; 38(5): 301-311.

Vernacular Title

Causas orgánicas y comórbidas de la depresión: el primer paso.

Affiliation

Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, España.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.semerg.2011.12.010

PMID

23544777

Abstract

The primary objective of this review is to obtain a clinical orientation as to evidence-supported common "other" causes of depressive symptomatology, which predominantly are: medical issues; life events; vitamin, mineral and diet-related deficiencies; and hormones. A secondary goal was to reflect those more frequent "other" causes in a checklist for clinical use, comprising also the preferred treatment (medical/dietary, antidepressants, or psychological) resulting from the available evidence. Medline, Cochrane and main related databases were searched from 4(th) October 2010 to 27(th) April 2011, no language limits, with keywords: depression; organic; comorbid; medication; life events; hormones; vitamin; mineral; diet; disease; as well as further searches into each upcoming possibly related issue. Total studies contemplated: 3.211; total studies reviewed: 301, with criteria of relevancy; date of study or review; size and type; journal status. Data were abstracted based upon probable clinical relevancy and use. The main results obtained were evidence-supported indications as to these other causes of depressive symptomatology, that warrant early screening, attention and treatment, possibly before antidepressant or psychological therapy is started. PRELIMINARY CONCLUSION: There appears to be a clinical rationale for early checking of a number of evidence-based causes of depressive symptoms for which first-line testing is readily available. In several cases clinical treatment may be simple, and improvements in depressive symptoms rapidly obtainable. Using a pre-treatrment protocol, both patients and health systems could benefit from biological and comorbid causes of depressive symptoms being established early. An enhanced response to low-cost corrective measures can decrease the risk of suicide.

Language: es