Here’s some depressing news: Only one-third of those newly diagnosed with depression follow through on doctor’s orders, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Using electronic health records, insurance claims and demographic data, the researchers studied nearly 250,000 patients who received a new diagnosis of depression in primary care settings in five large health care systems between 2010 and 2013. Only 35.7 percent initiated antidepressant medication or psychotherapy within 90 days of their diagnosis. The numbers were slightly more promising among those diagnosed with more severe forms of depression, with roughly about half starting treatment.
Depression is a highly treatable condition, and it’s estimated that 16 million Americans experience at least one depressive episode per year.
What’s behind this non-compliance? The reasons ranged from stigma to challenges accessing behavioral health services, said Beth Waitzfelder, PhD, lead author and investigator of the study, in a statement.
And this is despite a growing effort nationwide to detect and begin treating depression during primary care visits. “Over the last decade, there has been a growing effort to raise awareness about mental health and to integrate mental health care into primary care,” said Dr. Waitzfelder. “This is a positive development, since most people receive care from primary care providers. However, our study shows there is a lot more work to do to understand why many depressed patients do not begin treatment.”
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