Now that William has completed the BDI and we have noted that he did not indicate any suicide ideation, let's look at our algorithm to see the next step.

William does not meet any of the conditions in Cell D. He has a BDI of 9, does not meet DSM-IV criteria for major depression, nor is he receiving treatment for depression. Also, Willim did not have a positive screen for PTSD.

Since William did mention using cannabis once a month and drinking occasionally, we do need to address the issues. While it is beyond the scope of this course, we would certainly advise William to discontinue alcohol and recreational drugs.

Since William has a BDI score of 9 and a history of two or more past psychiatric diagnoses, the next step would be to consider pre-treatment with an antidepressant. Your next step will be to learn more about determining the need for antidepressant therapy and then to explore the various types of medications.