Most Depressed Adults Going W/oTreatment
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| Tue, 01-05-2010 - 9:15am |
Most Depressed Adults Going Without Treatment
Most depressed adults in the United States don't get the minimum recommended treatment, and the vacuum is especially dramatic among minority populations.
"This was very astonishing," said Hector Gonzalez, lead author of a study in the January issue of Archives of General Psychiatry and assistant professor of family medicine and public health at Wayne State University in Detroit.
"Studies have shown over and over that about half of people with depression get treatment, but as a clinician I knew that wasn't the case. I knew it wasn't the case for blacks and Latinos," continued Gonzalez, a Mexican American raised in New Mexico. "I wanted to see how many people were getting minimal standard-of-practice care."
The answer turned out to be that only a paltry one in five U.S. adults gets guideline-recommended treatment, with the number dropping to one in 10 for Mexican Americans and African Americans.
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I think there are a combination of factors involved. For one thing, so many people do not have health insurance. For those who do, not all of those insurance plans will cover mental health. Then, there are so many people don't realize treatment is available.
Right now, I am not seeking treatment for my depression. I am so on the fence. Some days, I feel like I need to go back on meds. But (sorry to be TMI here), I am SO reluctant because I am finally fully enjoying sex again for the first time in many, many years, and that makes me so happy. I am very reluctant to take any medications that may interfere with that again. I used to be on both antidepressants AND birth control pills, and while I had a sex drive "sometimes" and enjoyed sex somewhat, it just simply was not as enjoyable as when I was not on either of those meds. Lots of "dryness," less sensation, and "the big finish" was hard to come by unless I used a "mechanical aide." This made my relationships somewhat difficult. It's hard to tell a boyfriend (especially a new one!) that it's not HIM that isn't doing it for me.
So...that plays a big part in why I don't take medication. And I'm pretty sure my insurance does not cover therapy. Another reason I don't take meds is that I am convinced they made me put on weight. When I look at pictures of myself from a couple of years ago, my face looks so puffy and bloated. Sure, my poor eating habits don't help. ;-) But I have managed to slim down quite a bit (including in my face) since stopping them.
Oh, decisions, decisions! I just have to continue to take things one day at a time. Some days, I do get very, very depressed. I do think a lot of it is situational, though. So...one day at a time for now. We'll see.