In a survey of 1,000 adults in California, 43 percent expressed some reservations about talking to their primary care physician about depression symptoms. Those were the results of a recent study led by Dr. Robert Bell at the University of California, Davis, and published in the Annals of Family Medicine. Among the reasons why patients were hesitant to approach their doctors about depression was the concern that they would be prescribed antidepressants. In fact, 23 percent of the participants shared this fear, while another 16 percent didn t believe that it was in their doctor s medical jurisdiction to deal with emotional issues.
But as Dr. David Hellerstein of the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Medical Center asks, If you have depression, why would you worry about getting a treatment that s effective?
And as for effectiveness, approximately 60 percent of people on antidepressants feel better with the first drug they try, says the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. There are so many antidepressants available, people now have a choice to switch to a different kind when one doesn t work out, adds ACSH's Dr. Josh Bloom.
Unfortunately, the study also found that adults who screened positive for moderate to severe depression were also the most likely to have an aversion to antidepressant treatment.
These people need to be reminded that depression is a flaw in chemistry, not a flaw in character, says ACSH's Dr. Ruth Kava, with a nod to a current campaign by Mental Health America that aims to lessen the stigma. As Dr. Bloom advises, Depression is a disease of the brain, and should be treated as such just like any ailment afflicting other organs.
There is no shame in having depression, adds ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross, and a thorough discussion of the risks and benefits of taking antidepressants will likely relieve patients who are fearful of their effects, allowing them to get the help they need.
