[Psychotropic drugs and primary care]

Nowadays psychiatrists and general practitioners are confronted with two realities which seem to be conflicting: psychotropic drugs are too largely prescribed while many depressed patients are not treated adequately. Any approach based upon clinical and/or pharmacological criteria is likely to oversimplify the medical practice in as much it generates too many clinical entities and shrinks drugs-induced effects to responses of isolated target. The specificity of any symptoms has to be evaluated within the limits of other associated symptoms and patient's personality. The treatment has to be carried out on a joint basis; the patient who has to be informed and the doctor who is also the patient's adviser. Patients' demand is changing, looking for permanent improvement of their well-being as well as improvement of their performances. The answer is clearly complicated and needs more knowledges and also deep concern on mankind.