How often does depression go undiagnosed?
Studies show that more than half of people with depression do not seek treatment. HealthMaker Jeffrey Borenstein, MD, a psychiatrist at The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, discusses the importance of encouraging loved ones to seek help.
Transcript
They may be down in the dumps. They may be anxious. They may be depressed. But they may not realize that this is a clinical depression
and it needs treatment. [UPBEAT MUSIC]
Studies have shown that over half the people who have a depression don't seek treatment. This is above and beyond issues of access to health care,
with insurance. And if I said the sentence, half the people with pneumonia don't seek treatment, you'd be saying,
oh my god, we need to do something about this. And I think that we as a nation need to say,
oh my god, we need to do something about this if half the people with depression don't seek treatment. People aren't treating-- aren't seeking treatment
for a number of reasons. One might be stigma. It might be embarrassment. It might be the prejudice that society
puts on people who have a psychiatric condition, including depression. Another reason may be they may not realize
that they have a depression. They may be down in the dumps. They may be anxious. They may be depressed. But they may not realize that this is a clinical depression
and it needs treatment. Often, family members who see that their loved one is depressed and realize that their loved one is suffering,
often they hesitate to say something to their relative or to a friend. And I think that one of the key take-home messages for family
members and friends are, if you see that a loved one is having a problem, you should encourage them to seek help.
anxiety depression
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