Does the type of depression determine the type of treatment needed?
Treatments for
depression work for all types, and typically, the specific type of
depression does not change the treatment approach drastically.
It does,
however, inform as to certain patterns of response to treatments, as well
as to the degree of intervention that may be necessary. For example, an
individual with major depression with psychotic features is more apt to
require hospitalization than an individual with dysthymic disorder. Some
subtypes of depression have evidence of better response to certain
treatments. For example, an atypical depression has classically been
considered more responsive to a specific medication class, called the
MAOIs.
Depression
with melancholic features may respond better to tricyclic antidepressants
(TCAs). Seasonal depression responds best to a treatment called light
therapy. The presence of bipolar disorder usually means that a mood
stabilizer will be a necessary part of the treatment, as the use of an
anti-depressant without a mood stabilizer in a bipolar individual puts
the person at risk for the development of a manic episode.
