[Pharmacotherapy of depression in primary care--an update]

The treatment of major depressive disorder requires conceptualization of acute, continuation and maintenance therapy. Factors to take into account when choosing an antidepressant are the neurochemical profile, efficacy and tolerability, the depressive syndrome, diagnostic subtypes and severity. Concurrent psychiatric and somatic disorders and non-psychiatric medications should be thoroughly considered before treatment initiation. Most patients need a long-term treatment with the same dose of the antidepressants with which remission was achieved in the acute and continuation phase.