What Treatments Are Effective for Depression in Palliative Care Settings?

Depression is a profoundly distressing emotional experience, both for patients and family members. Appropriate treatment of patients with depression and advanced disease is a critical function of the palliative care team. A combination of antidepressant medication, supportive psychotherapy, integrative therapies, and patient/family education is viewed as the “gold standard” of depression treatment. Effective treatment of depression has been shown to improve symptoms of both patients and their caregivers. This chapter reviews the most recent evidence on the treatment of depression in patients facing a serious illness. Current psychotherapy modalities, selecting an antidepressant, and options for treatment-resistant depression including the use of psychedelics are reviewed.