70% of US Adults With Depression Are Untreated

Only 28.7% of US adults with depression receive treatment, according to a new study.

Recently, the use of antidepressants in the United States has increased. However, it is unknown whether adults with depression are receiving treatment at all or are receiving treatment that matches their level of illness severity.
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To better understand the treatment of depression in the United States, the researchers analyzed Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2012 and 2013, which included 46,417 responses from participants aged 18 years and older living in the United States.

The researchers assessed responses pertaining to screen-positive depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-2 score of 3 or more), psychological distress (Kessler 6 scale score of 13 or more), depression treatment by health care professional group, and type of depression treatment.

Of the 46,417 survey respondents, 8.4% screened positive for depression, of whom 28.7% received depression treatment.

Among all respondents being treated for depression, 29.9% had screened positive for depression, and 21.8% had serious psychological distress.

Participants with serious (vs less serious) psychological distress who had been treated for depression were more likely to receive treatment from psychiatrists or other mental health specialists and were more likely to receive psychotherapy but not psychotherapy in combination with antidepressant medications, which tends to confer greater improvement than antidepressants alone.

“Most US adults who screen positive for depression did not receive treatment for depression, whereas most who were treated did not screen positive,” the researchers concluded. “In light of these findings, it is important to strengthen efforts to align depression care with each patient’s clinical needs.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Olfson M, Blanco C, Marcus SC. Treatment of adult depression in the United States [published online August 29, 2016]. JAMA Intern Med. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.5057.