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Table 2 Delivery format and content of the "Training program for professional carers to recognise and manage depression in palliative care settings"

From: Intervention for depression among palliative care patients and their families: A study protocol for evaluation of a training program for professional care staff

Session 1

Understanding Depression

Session 2

Detecting Depression

Session 3

Responding to Depression

Session 4

Family Focus

• diagnostic definitions and prevalence

• signs and symptoms of depression useful for detection in the palliative care setting

• distinguishing grief and depression

• impact on physical, psychological and social areas at end-of-life

• treatments

• common misconceptions

• distinguishing depression and anxiety

• using a depression monitoring checklist [17, 18] *

• communication skills

• factors related to masked depression in palliative care settings

• barriers to detection of depression in palliative care settings

• using a two-question depression screening tool [19, 20] **

• responding to depression-related and 'desire to die' statements

• support strategies for depressed patients

• psychological distress amongst patient's family members

• the family system

• support strategies for family members of patients

• grief and bereavement

• cultural considerations

• self-care strategies for staff

  1. *This depression monitoring checklist has been adapted from a similar checklist that has demonstrated success in the aged-care setting in assisting staff to recognise depression **This screening tool specifically targets clinical depression, has been validated against reliable and valid measures of depression, and has demonstrated good psychometric properties in the palliative care setting.