Although there has been tremendous progress in the treatment of depression, many patients do not achieve a full response to treatment.  An estimated 32 to 35 million adults in the United States experience an episode of major depression during their lifetime.  When depressed patients present for treatment, the results can often be less than satisfactory.   In fact, some studies indicate that only about 1/3 of depressed patients who receive treatment, achieve full remission.

Therefore, the goal when treating depression is not to just improve somewhat but to get all the way better.  Why does the management of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) remain a complex clinical problem for a large population of patients and their clinicians?  There are several important factors to take into consideration when pursuing a full response to treatment. Continue reading →