Functional Medicine for Depression in a Primary Care Setting (Recorded Webinar)

Functional Medicine for Depression in a Primary Care Setting (Recorded Webinar) is organized by Nurse Practitioner Associates for Continuing Education (NPACE).

Expiration Date: June 30th, 2025

Description:
Many patients with depression do not respond to standard antidepressant treatment even after the addition of second and third antidepressant trials.  As standalone therapies, antidepressant medications are likely to be unsuccessful in yielding therapeutic benefits. However, there is a considerable amount of scientific research that supports adjuvant nutritional therapies. This presentation will explore some of the common underlying biological factors precipitating depression. Practical, evidence-based interventions to enhance the efficacy and minimize the side effects of antidepressant medications will be described. Common nutritional deficiencies and their relationship to mental health status will also be discussed in detail. Following the presentation, participants will be able to describe a functional medicine approach to support patients and their families struggling with depression.

Learning Objectives:
As a result of this activity, the learner will be able to: 

• Identify intrinsic and exogenous factors that can cause or contribute to depressive pathogenesis, and understand the mechanisms through which these factors can affect changes in brain function, cognition, and behavior. 
• Describe the limitations inherent in traditional symptom -> drug models of depression assessment and treatment, and how a functional approach based upon objective biologic assessment and the ramifications of biochemical individuality can address gaps in extant therapeutic models. 
• Elucidate the clinical utility of a functional approach for the treatment of depressive disorders, and how the incorporation of nutritional medicine into extant therapeutic paradigms can coalesce a more complete, patient-centric model of care.