[Depression in palliative care: how to identify it, detect it, and treat it]

Psychological symptoms are frequently observed in palliative care, such as anxiety, mood disorders, depression and death request. However, these symptoms are considered most of the time as a natural and emotional process of any terminally ill patient. This may result in under-diagnosis and under-treatment. Recognition early detection of depressive symptoms is necessary to achieve an efficient management. Better information and key skill training should thus be implemented together with screening in order to help depressive patients and their relatives during dying and mourning processes.