In this course, you will learn how to assess patients for mental illness by conducting interviews and administering useful screening tools. You will then learn to manage depression by prescribing medications, modifying medications, and providing patient education.

It is very important to learn to identify when you can treat patients yourself and when you need to seek support from a mental health professional. Once again, this is why we need collaborative clinics where hepatitis C and mental health practitioners can work together for the patients.

Many patients who are depressed can be treated in the medical clinic setting, but patients with significant depression should be referred for specialty care. Immediate referral should be considered when patients express significant distress or suicide ideation. Additionally, non-emergency referrals should be made for patients who may have psychosis, histories of bipolar disorder (manic-depression), and patients who are not responding to first-line therapies.