Assessing and Managing Pain and Major Depression With Medical Comorbidities

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Find more articles on this and other psychiatry and CNS topics:
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders

Chronic pain is the leading reason patients see their primary care physician, and the burden of pain and depression in those with medical illness is particularly severe. Improving depressive symptoms can decrease physical symptoms in many patients, but these patients may require a different treatment strategy than those with depression alone. This activity provides guidance on recognizing and accurately diagnosing pain and major depression, managing these conditions using assessment tools and me’ ‹asurement-based care, avoiding unwanted side effects and drug interactions, and properly matching patients to appropriate treatments.