Management
Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines
- In mild depression, psychological support can be as effective as medication.
- Adequate pain control may significantly improve depressive symptoms.
- Spiritual distress may be a component of depression, or distinct from it.
- Consider supportive psychotherapy or cognitive behavioural therapy.
- Patients with severe depression and/or suicidal ideation are uncommon but should be referred to psychological medicine/psychiatry for assessment.