Explain depression diagnosis and antidepressant plan — CASC communication station

Station brief

Format. Communication station, approximately 7–10 minutes active time after reading. You are the psychiatry registrar in the outpatient clinic. ^[3]

Candidate instructions. Explain the diagnosis of major depressive disorder, the rationale for starting sertraline, common side-effects, what to do if mood or suicidal thoughts worsen after starting treatment, expected timeline of benefit, and rough duration after recovery. Check understanding and invite questions. The examiner plays the patient. ^[3]