[Guidelines of the Brazilian Medical Association for the treatment of depression (complete version)].
OBJECTIVE
Depression is a frequent and chronic condition with high levels of functional disability. Brazilian Medical Association Guidelines project proposed guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of the most common medical disorders. The objective of this paper is to present the original document that originated the abbreviated version available at the electronic address of Brazilian Medical Association.


METHODS
This paper was based on guidelines developed in other countries and systematic reviews, randomized clinical trials and when absent, observational studies and recommendations from experts. Brazilian Medical Association proposed this methodology for the whole project.


RESULTS
The following aspects are presented: prevalence, demographics, disability, diagnostics and sub-diagnosis, efficacy of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment, costs and side-effects of different classes of available drugs in Brazil. Planning of different phases of treatment is22 also discussed.


CONCLUSIONS
Guidelines are a good tool helping clinical decisions and are a reference for an attitude based on levels of evidence.
Fleck
Marcelo Pio de Almeida
MP
Programa de Transtornos de Humor do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. mfleck.voy@zaz.com.br
Lafer
Beny
B
Sougey
Everton Botelho
EB
Del Porto
José Alberto
JA
Brasil
Marco Antônio
MA
Juruena
Mário Francisco
MF
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
D000928:Antidepressive Agents
Diretrizes da Associação Médica Brasileira para o tratamento da depressão (versão integral).