Breaking the myths: new treatment approaches for chronic depression.
BACKGROUND
Chronic depressive disorders are common, accounting for approximately one-third of all cases of depression and posing a major public health problem. In the past, chronic depression has been thought to be treatment-resistant, and evidence suggests that it is currently underdiagnosed, misdiagnosed, and suboptimally treated.


OBJECTIVE
To review the subtypes of chronic depression and the evidence-base concerning their optimal treatment and to discuss some key clinical issues and areas of future research.


METHODS
We identified key studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by systematically searching electronic databases and hand searching specialist journals and bibliographies.


RESULTS
Chronic depressive disorders respond well to standard pharmacologic interventions in the acute and maintenance phases of treatment. Standard psychotherapies alone may not be efficacious for chronic depression (especially dysthymia). Recent evidence suggests that treatment combining psychotherapy and medications may be superior to either treatment alone.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic depressive disorders are amenable to treatment, provided that intervention is both thorough and intensive. Although our knowledge about the optimal treatment of chronic depression has developed rapidly, changes in clinical practice have been slower to evolve. Further research is required to assess the effectiveness of multimodal interventions for chronic depression in more naturalistic settings.
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D011613:Psychotherapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents