Treating depression in substance abusers

The literature on the diagnosis and treatment of depression is reviewed to arrive at recommendations for clinical practice, future research, and models of service delivery. The DSM-IV criteria are found to provide a sound basis for diagnosis, and a review of placebo-controlled trials of antidepressant medications among substance-dependent patients suggests medication is effective in the setting of careful diagnosis, preferably during a currently observed abstinent period. Clinical recommendations offered for the approach to patients with co-occurring depression and substance dependence include the following: 1) Initiate treatment for substance dependence and encourage abstinence; 2) Conduct a careful psychiatric history and apply DSM-IV criteria for primary or substance-induced depression; 3) If depression meets diagnostic criteria and persists despite treatment of substance use disorder, treat the depression. Future research should include trials of psychotherapeutic or behavioral treatments, studies of treatment algorithms and of integrated systems of care, and studies of methods for disseminating diagnostic and treatment methods in an effort to diminish traditional boundaries between the skill sets of mental health and substance abuse clinicians.