Functional recovery as an important treatment goal in major depressive disorder

At ECNP 2022, Professor Roger McIntyre chatted about how improving quality of life and functionality are as important as addressing symptoms in people with major depressive disorder, yet these are not tackled often enough. Functional recovery for most patients means “getting their life back” and this necessitates individual assessment and a realistic expectation of what is achievable in the realms of, for example, autonomy, daily function and work and social lives. Functional recovery objectives often evolve throughout a patient’s treatment course so need periodic evaluation.