General management of depressive illness--psychosocial and family issues

The devastating effect of major depressive disorders on patients' lives cannot spare their families unharmed. Symptoms in combination with numerous social issues simultaneously or in succession do continue their downhill thrust on depressed patients and their families until they are intervened by a clinician. This discussion paper reflects essentially the clinician's point-of-view whose main concern is an accurate assessment, to ensure differentiation of genuine affective disorders from crisis presentations of diverse etiology. The practitioner's willingness for involvement with the family, his comprehension of its dynamic interactions, and a multitude of social issues may influence the therapeutic outcome favorably.