Management of Depression and Anxiety in Perioperative Medicine

Mental illness is defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Rockville, Maryland) as diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders other than developmental or substance use disorders.¹  Mental health disorders are ranked among the most disabling and burdensome public health problems as measured by disability-adjusted life years.²  The burden of anxiety and depression has increased in recent years, due to social isolation, occupation disruption, and substance use, all of which were likely accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.^3,4  Indeed, the most recent national prevalence study conducted by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Research Triangle Institute International (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina) reports 1-yr prevalence rates of major depressive disorder at 15.5% and generalized anxiety disorder at 10.0% in adults aged 18 to 65 yr.⁵ 

Interestingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, estimated rates of depression and anxiety in surgical patients differ by...