The BBC reports:
“People in England with mild depression should first be offered behavioural therapy or group exercise instead of medication, according to new advice.
The clinical watchdog [the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)] also recommends mindfulness and meditation as possible alternatives to anti-depressants in new guidelines under consultation.
Anti-depressant use has increased in recent years – with an estimated one in seven people in England taking them.
More than 20 million were prescribed in just three months last year.
The draft guidelines, which are subject to consultation, say: ‘Do not routinely offer antidepressant medication as first-line treatment for less severe depression, unless that is the person’s preference.’
They call on doctors to involve patients in conversations about what would suit them best, but say group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could be offered as a first treatment …”
You can read more from here.
Other posts about collaborative practice:
Interview with Prof. John Read about the campaign for an independent review of ECT
Probiotics for adults with major depressive disorder compared with antidepressants: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Contextualizing science in the aftermath of the evidence-based medicine era: on the need for person-centered healthcare