Many adults treated for depression in the US may not be depressed, study finds

 

Many adults with depression do not receive treatment, while most who were treated did not screen positive for depression, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

For the study, researchers examined depression treatment data from 46,417 responses to the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys taken in U.S. households by adults in 2012 and 2013.

They determined that of the 8.4 percent of adults who screened positive for depression, only 28.7 percent had received any treatment for the disorder. Contrarily, researchers said, among all adults treated for depression, 29.9 percent had screened positive for depression and 21.8 percent exhibited evidence of serious psychological distress.

Adults with serious compared with less serious psychological distress who were treated for depression were more likely to receive care from psychiatrists (33.4 percent vs. 17.3 percent) or other mental health specialists (16.2 percent vs. 9.6 percent), and less likely to receive depression care solely from general medical professionals (59 percent vs. 74.4 percent), according to the study.

The study found those with serious distress were also more likely to receive psychotherapy (32.5 percent vs. 20.6 percent), though not antidepressant medications (81.1 percent vs. 88.6 percent).

Given these findings, the researchers concluded that "it is important to strengthen efforts to align depression care with each patient's clinical needs."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars