[Pharmacotherapy of depression].

Four cardinal rules for pharmacotherapy of depression are discussed: 1. Severity of depression is the main criterion for the decision to treat by drugs. 2. The profile of side effects of antidepressants furnishes the arguments for drug selection. 3. Sufficiently high doses are the main prerequisite for rapid and strong response. 4. The sooner the treatment with an antidepressant is initiated, the earlier an effect of treatment can be expected.