CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The patient described in the vignette is having a first episode of depression and also has some memory problems. It is crucial to ask about suicidal thoughts, alcohol use, and coexisting medical illnesses. First-line treatment could involve either pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy (in particular, problem-solving therapy, because it has been shown to benefit depressed patients who also have cognitive impairment); the choice would depend on the patient's preference and the availability of psychotherapy. If medication were used, the recommended initial therapy would be administration of an SSRI, starting at a low dose (e.g., sertraline at a daily dose of 25 mg) in order to assess the patient for side effects and then increasing to a minimum therapeutic dose (50 mg daily in the case of sertraline). Higher doses may be needed for maximal efficacy (e.g., 100 mg or more of sertraline daily), with close attention to side effects. If the depressive symptoms are not sufficiently reduced, I would consider a change to an SNRI, such as venlafaxine. Screening for cognitive deficits should be performed and formal neuropsychological testing should be considered if cognitive symptoms persist or worsen despite antidepressant therapy.