Treatment of secondary depression frequently involves a higher degree of difficulty. Such cases require a broader approach, so that the therapy may reach the expected effect without worsening the underlying diseases and without interacting with other prescribed drugs. This article describes the case of a patient with type II diabetes and hepatitis C who presented depressive symptoms after using interferon. Several drugs were tested, but symptoms only improved with the use of escitalopran. The authors also discuss the difficulty faced in the diagnosis and treatment of depression and psychiatric co-morbidities associated with the chronic illnesses presented by the patient.
Depression; diabetes; hepatitis C; escitalopran; electroconvulsotherapy; secondary depression