Depression: Identification and assessment

Major depressive disorder is an often under-diagnosed and devastating condition affecting around one in five Australians at some point in their lives.

This module describes major depressive disorder, outlines depressive pathophysiology and explains how depression is diagnosed. It highlights the symptoms of depression and how to perform a mental health assessment.

At the end of this module participants will be able to:

• Describe depression, specifically, major depressive disorder
• Understand the impact depression has on the Australian population
• Identify potential causes and pathophysiology of depression
• Know the diagnostic criteria for depression and be able to recognize common symptoms
• Understand the general principles of a mental health assessment and risk assessment, and how to identify depression during routine health interactions
• Identify when a patient requires referral to specialist services.