A new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that people who are newly diagnosed with depression do not start treatment right away. The data of over 240,000 people in the United States was analyzed for the stud, according to U.S. News. Researchers looked at patients who received a depression diagnosis for the first time between the years 2010 and 2013. Of all the patients diagnosed with depression, only one-third of those patients started treatment quickly. Demographically, seniors and minorities were the least likely to get help in what the article describes as a “timely fashion”.
Why does depression need to be treated quickly?
Since mental health is not a physical health problem, people don’t consider the treatment of mental health to be an expedient matter. Mental health, many people believe, lives only inside the head and cannot kill you. However, suicide is a common side effect of depression as well as other mental health issues. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. As well, depression and other mental health issues can contribute to stress and inflammation in the body, which are major contributors to other physical diseases and disorders. Lastly, living with the symptoms of depression can be challenging.
How is depression treated?
According to the results of the study, 36 percent of patients were prescribed antidepressants or received counseling within 90 days of their diagnosis. Half of the patients who had severe depression started treatment within 90 days. Of all the patients who did begin treatment, more than 80 percent of patients received antidepressants of treatment instead of counseling or therapy. What the study doesn’t take into consideration is the necessity of a wide range of treatment options to support recovery from depression.
Depression Treatment
Depression can be a standalone mental health issue, or it can be inspired by events like trauma in someone’s life. Treating depression is not a singular event, like strictly through antidepressants or counseling. Depression treatment, and the treatment of all mental health disorders, has to be holistic by approaching treatment of the mind, the body, and the spirit.
The Guest House Ocala offers private treatment for trauma, addiction, and related mental health issues. Our treatment programs are customized with concierge style care, tailor designing the every therapy and healing modality used to fit your individual needs. For information on our treatment programs, call us today: 1-855-483-7800