| Abstract | The article reviews the recent advances in the management of depression and psychopharmacology through Medline and non-Medline literature search during 1988 to 1998. Recent advances in research on depression have confirmed that it is a common, recurrent, and disabling medical disorder. The latest epidemiological studies from the United States (US) suggest that its lifetime prevalence is more that 17 percent, while a lower, but still substantial, proportion of Chinese people have the same disorder. The highly recurrent nature and conspicuous morbidity of depression call for the continuation of antidepressant treatment beyond the initial resolution of symptoms. For the first episode of depression, 6 to 9 months of adequate antidepressant treatment is indicated. For patients with recurrent depression, maintenance therapy for several years is needed. The increasingly widespread use of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and other newer antidepressants has increased the direct drug cost, but the total health care expenditure may not be raised and may even be reduced. |
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