A fifth of people with a chronic physical health problem
(such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke) have depression - a rate
that is two to three times higher than in those who are in good physical health.
A combination of depression and a chronic physical health problem can
significantly worsen the negative outcomes for people with both conditions.


The guideline reviews the evidence for the identification of
depression in people with a chronic physical health problem and the associated
service-level interventions (such as stepped care and collaborative care) and
psychosocial, psychological and pharmacological interventions. It places special
emphasis on advising health professionals about interactions between
antidepressants and any prescribed medication for the physical health problem.
As in the updated edition of the NICE guideline on depression, this guideline
also covers subthreshold depressive symptoms. It has a useful introduction to
depression in adults with a chronic physical health problem and a chapter on
service user, carer and staff experience of care.


NICE Mental Health Guidelines



These guidelines
from NICE set out clear recommendations, based on the best available evidence,
for health care professionals on how to work with and implement physical,
psychological and service-level interventions for people with various mental
health conditions.



The book contains the full guidelines that cannot be
obtained in print anywhere else. It brings together all of the evidence that led
to the recommendations made, detailed explanations of the methodology behind
their preparation, plus an overview of the condition covering detection,
diagnosis and assessment, and the full range of treatment and care
approaches.



The accompanying free CD-ROM contains all the data used as
evidence, including:







Included and excluded studies.

Profile tables that summarise both the quality of the evidence and the
results of the evidence synthesis.

All meta-analytical data, presented as forest plots.

Detailed information about how to use and interpret forest plots.