Site Map	Interview a Patient with Depression

• Introduce yourself and check the patient's identity
• Establish rapport with patient
• Appropriate use of questions, open, closed and clarifying
• Use of verbal and non-verbal encouragement
• Enquire about
  • Current mood
  • Current feelings
  • Onset of illness
  • Precipitating factors (life events)
• Elicit CORE features of depression
  • Depressed mood
  • Loss of interest
  • Fatigability
• Elicit COMMON features of depression
  • Reduced concentration
  • Poor self-esteem
  • Guilt
  • Pessimism
• Elicit SOMATIC features of depression
  • Anhedonia
  • Early morning waking
  • Morning depression
  • Agitation or retardation
• Enquire about
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Appetite for
    • Food
    • Sex
    • Life
• Acknowledge patient concerns
• Appropriate summary and analysis of findings
• Encourage patient's questions and deal with them appropriately

	Any comments or feedback please contact me by email: Tom Williams