Introduction. Focus on Primary Care Management of Depression

The third meeting of the International Consensus Group on Depression and Anxiety was held in Charleston, S.C., in October 1998, and took as its subject the management of depression in primary care. There is a considerable literature on the prevalence, treatment strategies, and disability associated with major depression, yet in the primary care setting, there has not been an associated increase in presentation rate, recognition rate, or the prescription of appropriate treatment for an adequate period of time. Treatment guidelines have been produced by a number of organizations, however, they are not universally accepted or implemented.’ ‹