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

00:00

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

00:07

and it needs treatment. [UPBEAT MUSIC]

00:16

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,

00:26

with insurance. And if I said the sentence, half the people with pneumonia don't seek treatment, you'd be saying,

00:33

oh my god, we need to do something about this. And I think that we as a nation need to say,

00:41

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

00:50

for a number of reasons. One might be stigma. It might be embarrassment. It might be the prejudice that society

00:56

puts on people who have a psychiatric condition, including depression. Another reason may be they may not realize

01:03

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

01:12

and it needs treatment. Often, family members who see that their loved one is depressed and realize that their loved one is suffering,

01:21

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

01:31

members and friends are, if you see that a loved one is having a problem, you should encourage them to seek help.