Depression

Top 10 priorities

1. What are the most effective ways to prevent occurrence and recurrence of depression?
2. What are the best early interventions (treatments and therapies) for depression? And how early should they be used in order to result in the best patient outcomes?
3. What are the best ways to train healthcare professionals to recognise and understand depression?
4. What is the impact on a child of having a parent with depression and can a parent prevent their child from also developing depression?
5. What are the best ways to inform people with depression about treatment options and their effectiveness in order to empowerthem and help them self-manage?
6. What are the barriers and enablers for people accessing care/treatment when they are depressed, including when feeling suicidal, and how can these be addressed?
7. Does depression impact employment? How can discrimination and stigma of depression in the workplace be overcome, and how can employers and colleagues be informed about depression?
8. What are the best ways to help friends and family members to support people with depression?
9. Are educational programmes on depression effective in schools for reducing stigma?
10. What is the impact of wait times for services for people with depression?

The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:

11. What do people with depression feel works best in managing and treating depression?
12. What are the best ways to identify depression in children and teenagers?
13. What are the most effective ways of managing depression that doesn’t respond to medication or talking therapies?
14. How can the way people with depression engage with mental health interventions/treatment be improved?
15. What is the effectiveness of school-based interventions/treatments for depression/wellbeing?
16. How can the stigma of depression be reduced and perceptions of people with depression improved within the general population?
17. To what extent does the stigma associated with depression affect people’s treatment, symptoms and quality of life?
18. What are the most effective non-drug treatments for depression?
19. What are the long-term consequences of childhood depression?
20. How can depression be diagnosed and assessed in people with communication difficulties?
21. What is the best way to treat psychotic depression in young people?
22. What are the best ways to treat depression and anxiety together?
23. What events and factors can increase the likelihood of having another episode of depression?
24. What is the best way of helping young people with depression who are also diagnosed with another mental health condition?
25. What impact does long-term depression have on the brain?
26. What is the effect of social isolation on depression?

Key documents

Depression PSP Protocol