[Psychiatric symptoms at the end of life, part 2: Depressive disorder]

The prevalence of depression, including adjustment disorders, in palliative care ranges from 20% to 40%. Depressive symptoms are often not reported spontaneously and must be classified using differential diagnosis for therapy planning. The generally negative view caused by the illness often makes therapeutic access to patients difficult. This article presents and explains the diagnosis, aetiology and various non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment options for the different depressive syndromes that are relevant to general practice.