Effectiveness of the management of major depressive episodes/disorder in adults with comorbid chronic physical diseases: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

© 2017 Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article). All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted. Introduction Depression is a global-scale public health problem, and a significant association has been established between depression and chronic physical diseases. This growing comorbidity poses a challenge to healthcare systems. We aim to assess the effectiveness of the management of major depressive episodes/disorder in adults with comorbid chronic physical diseases. Methods and analysis We will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. Two databases MEDLINE and Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews and CENTRAL), as well as the reference lists of the included articles, will be searched for studies either in English or Spanish with published results within the 2005-2015 period. Studies must fulfil the following conditions: (1) participants age