Few Americans With Major Depression Receive Adequate Treatment

[HuckleB]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100104161746.htm

"Many U.S. adults with major depression do not receive treatment for depression or therapy based on treatment guidelines, and some racial and ethnic groups have even lower rates of adequate depression care, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Depression is a leading cause of disability among many racial and ethnic groups in the United States, according to background information in the article. Pharmacotherapy (including antidepressants) and psychotherapy are both effective, well tolerated treatments for depression when provided according to established guidelines (such as those from the American Psychiatric Association), the authors note. Previous research suggests that many individuals are untreated or undertreated, but most studies of depression care have not distinguished between the two modalities and have also aggregated major racial and ethnic groups (for instance, combining all Latino individuals instead of examining specific subgroups, such as Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans).

...

Overall, more than half of those with depression received at least one form of depression care, but only about one in five (21.3 percent) had received at least one form of therapy that conformed to established treatment guidelines within the previous year. Psychotherapy was more commonly used than pharmacotherapy, and individuals undergoing psychotherapy were more likely to receive treatment in alignment with clinical guidelines than were individuals taking medications.

Mexican American and African American individuals with depression consistently had lower odds of receiving any type of care or care in concordance with treatment guidelines during the year prior. "The proportions of Puerto Rican and non-Latino white individuals who used concordant therapies in the past year were nearly twice those of Mexican American, Caribbean black and African American individuals," the authors write.

..."

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It's an interesting day when it comes to news about depression treatments. On the one hand, we have the report that antidepressants don't seem to help people with milder forms of depression (See http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/health/views/06depress.html?em for more). On the other hand, we have this report on the under treatment of depression.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Bummer.

[HuckleB]

2. Especially for those who are bummed, and for those who love those who are bummed.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Yes.

Please don't take my cheap shot as an indication of a lack of caring. It bothers me immensely that I live in a country where people go without things like health care, food, and shelter.

[HuckleB]

4. Oh, I took it as humorous.

We all need a sense of humor in regard to the very serious issues (and others) that you mention.

:toast:

[Jackpine Radical]

5. If you want to be absolutely, thoroughly disgusted by the sick humor,

hang out with people in the front lines of caring for others. Like maybe the staff dining room at a hospital. Newbies get green around the gills from hearing the normal table conversation.