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Depressive Disorders – WPA Series, Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry.
Journal of Affective Disorders 65 (2001) 319–320 www.elsevier.com / locate / jad
Book review Depressive Disorders – WPA Series, Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry. Volume 1, M. Maj and N. Sartorius (Eds.), John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Chichester, 1999, 490 pages. This book is the first of the series ‘‘Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry’’ that was introduced at the XI World Congress of Psychiatry, Hamburg, August, 1999. This series has been initiated as a part of the effort of the World Psychiatric Association to bridge the gaps within psychiatry and between psychiatry and other medical professions. The book contains six major review chapters. The authors of them are among the most distinguished psychiatrists in the world, and the chapters cover almost all most important (mainly practical) topics of the depressive disorders. Chapter 1 (by C. and N. Stefanis) is on the diagnosis of depressive disorders and discusses in detail the theoretical and practical questions of the different clinical presentations of the wide depressive spectrum. They also discuss the differential diagnosis of depression and the association of depression with a wide range of medical illnesses. The authors also review critically the clinical diagnostic instruments and the biological tests of depression. Chapter 2, written by P. Bech, is a comprehensive and practical review of the pharmacological treatment of depressive disorders. All the important aspects at first and new generation antidepressants are mentioned (from clinical efficacy to adverse drug reactions). In their review on psychotherapies for depressive disorders (Chapter 3) A. Rush and M. Thase discuss the efficacy of different forms of psychotherapies (also including psychoeducation and cognitive-behavioural therapies) in various types of depressive
disorders. The authors point out that combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy is more effective than either psychotherapy alone or medication alone primarily in the cases of severe, recurrent depression. In Chapter 4, R. Harrington provides a clear review of the clinical presentation, course and outcome as well as the different treatment strategies of depressive disorders in children and adolescents. Chapter 5 (written by E. Chiu and colleagues) presents a review on depressive disorders in the elderly. This topic is particularly important, since in spite of the great development of gerontopsychiatry in the last decade, depression in old age is highly underdiagnosed and undertreated in the everyday clinical practice. The last chapter (Chapter 6) is a comprehensive review on the costs of depressive disorders. Y. Rosenbaum and T. Hylan clearly demonstrate that the costs of the diagnosis and treatment of depression (direct cost) is much lower than the negative financial consequences caused in depressions which are not treated (indirect cost). Therefore, psychiatrists should communicate with health care resource decision-makers and their main message would be that early detection and adequate treatment of depression results in lower cost than what is otherwise lost. The structure of the chapters is clear, and all important statements are well documented by very rich and up-to-date literature references. At the end of each chapter the authors summarise the revised topic on three different levels: consistent evidence, incomplete evidence and areas still open to further research. As the most interesting part of the book, all chapters are followed by more than a dozen short commentaries, written by well-recognised experts on the given topic. It is very interesting to see how the colleagues from different parts of the world see and
0165-0327 / 01 / $ – see front matter 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S0165-0327( 00 )00229-9
320
Book review / Journal of Affective Disorders 65 (2001) 319 – 320
comment on the same subject. Taking together all the above, this book is more than an ‘‘evidence based’’ summary of our present knowledge on depression, since it also reflects the rich clinical experience of all the contributors. On the other hand, however, patients require more than ‘‘evidence based’’ doctors; they need professional and effective care, frequently called ‘‘state of the art’’.
´ Rihmer Zoltan National Institute for Psychiatry and Neurology Budapest Hungary
Book review Depressive Disorders – WPA Series, Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry. Volume 1, M. Maj and N. Sartorius (Eds.), John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Chichester, 1999, 490 pages. This book is the first of the series ‘‘Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry’’ that was introduced at the XI World Congress of Psychiatry, Hamburg, August, 1999. This series has been initiated as a part of the effort of the World Psychiatric Association to bridge the gaps within psychiatry and between psychiatry and other medical professions. The book contains six major review chapters. The authors of them are among the most distinguished psychiatrists in the world, and the chapters cover almost all most important (mainly practical) topics of the depressive disorders. Chapter 1 (by C. and N. Stefanis) is on the diagnosis of depressive disorders and discusses in detail the theoretical and practical questions of the different clinical presentations of the wide depressive spectrum. They also discuss the differential diagnosis of depression and the association of depression with a wide range of medical illnesses. The authors also review critically the clinical diagnostic instruments and the biological tests of depression. Chapter 2, written by P. Bech, is a comprehensive and practical review of the pharmacological treatment of depressive disorders. All the important aspects at first and new generation antidepressants are mentioned (from clinical efficacy to adverse drug reactions). In their review on psychotherapies for depressive disorders (Chapter 3) A. Rush and M. Thase discuss the efficacy of different forms of psychotherapies (also including psychoeducation and cognitive-behavioural therapies) in various types of depressive
disorders. The authors point out that combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy is more effective than either psychotherapy alone or medication alone primarily in the cases of severe, recurrent depression. In Chapter 4, R. Harrington provides a clear review of the clinical presentation, course and outcome as well as the different treatment strategies of depressive disorders in children and adolescents. Chapter 5 (written by E. Chiu and colleagues) presents a review on depressive disorders in the elderly. This topic is particularly important, since in spite of the great development of gerontopsychiatry in the last decade, depression in old age is highly underdiagnosed and undertreated in the everyday clinical practice. The last chapter (Chapter 6) is a comprehensive review on the costs of depressive disorders. Y. Rosenbaum and T. Hylan clearly demonstrate that the costs of the diagnosis and treatment of depression (direct cost) is much lower than the negative financial consequences caused in depressions which are not treated (indirect cost). Therefore, psychiatrists should communicate with health care resource decision-makers and their main message would be that early detection and adequate treatment of depression results in lower cost than what is otherwise lost. The structure of the chapters is clear, and all important statements are well documented by very rich and up-to-date literature references. At the end of each chapter the authors summarise the revised topic on three different levels: consistent evidence, incomplete evidence and areas still open to further research. As the most interesting part of the book, all chapters are followed by more than a dozen short commentaries, written by well-recognised experts on the given topic. It is very interesting to see how the colleagues from different parts of the world see and
0165-0327 / 01 / $ – see front matter 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S0165-0327( 00 )00229-9
320
Book review / Journal of Affective Disorders 65 (2001) 319 – 320
comment on the same subject. Taking together all the above, this book is more than an ‘‘evidence based’’ summary of our present knowledge on depression, since it also reflects the rich clinical experience of all the contributors. On the other hand, however, patients require more than ‘‘evidence based’’ doctors; they need professional and effective care, frequently called ‘‘state of the art’’.
´ Rihmer Zoltan National Institute for Psychiatry and Neurology Budapest Hungary