[Preventive out-patient treatment of affective disorders].

: The present article is based on a Health Technology Assessment Report (HTA, available with an English summary at www.cemtv.dk) on preventive out-patient treatment of affective disorders. The article briefly reviews the course of depressive disorder and bipolar affective disorder and reviews the best available treatment modalities including shared care models, prophylactic pharmacotherapy and prophylactic combination therapy involving pharmacotherapy and psychological treatment.