Approximately half of American adults with major depression do not receive therapy for their illness, a new study in the Archives of General Psychiatry shows.
According to the study, Mexican Americans and African Americans have the lowest rate of receiving depression therapy.
This is worth noting given the large percentage of Hispanics and Latinos in the population of San Jose: 30.2% percent according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The report on depression treatment was based on three surveys from 2001 to 2003 with a total of 15,762 participants ages 18 and older.
Antidepressants have substantial effects on patients with severe depression, but minimal or nonexistent effects on those with moderate symptoms of depression, a new study shows. Antidepressants are no stronger than placebos in some cases.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at 718 adult outpatients, with moderate depression, using common antidepressants such as Prozac. Each of the subjects took either the antidepressant or placebo for 6 weeks at a time. Those who used the placebo recovered with proper psychoanalysis and therapy. (more…)
During an economic crisis, adolescents often become the unintended victims of despair. Whether their parents are working long hours or struggling to find work after layoffs, teenagers often feel the weight of their parents’ stress.
In the South Bay more teenagers have been diagnosed with depression than in previous years, according to a Mercury News report .
To combat adolescent depression, it’s important to know what sort of therapy works for teenagers. A new study shows more adolescents recover from depression after long-term therapy treatment than short-term treatment. (more…)
After two Gunn High School students committed suicide in May 2009, the school administration sent out emails to the community creating awareness for adolescent mental health.
Understanding students are under a lot of pressure to do well in school especially around final exam time, Principal Noreen Likins said to parents, “Please reassure your student that their health and welfare is much more important than anything else right now. We stand ready to help and support you in any way we can in the difficult task of helping students navigate these teen years.”
It’s hard to know why these students ended their lives. However, there are significant signs of depression to be wary of, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. (more…)
More people are taking antidepressants, studies show, but the number of people seeking psychotherapy has decreased.
According to the Archives of General Psychiatry, about 27 million Americans were taking antidepressants in 2005. That’s twice as many as the number of people who were taking this type of medication in 1996.
Yet 80 percent of those using antidepressants were not receiving psychotherapy. Some cannot afford to see a psychiatrist even with health insurance. Others receive antidepressants from regular doctors for symptoms such as back pain, insomnia and other health problems, not necessarily related to mental health. (more…)