Depression Is Still A Taboo In The US

Health experts in the US are suggesting that there should be a routine screening for clinical depression for people 18 and above. It is because of the increasing untreated depression cases in America which can lead to mental, emotional and even physical illnesses.

According to a study by researchers from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons as reported by CBS News, out of 46,417 respondents, 8 percent were diagnosed with clinical depression, but only 28.7 percent of the those positive with depression got any sort of treatment and/or medication. And the most alarming part of it, out of the 8 percent suffering from depression, most have serious mental/psychological distress.

Health experts would like to reiterate that depression is not just any side effect, mood swing, or an emotional state, but a serious mental disorder that might impair several aspects of your health and life if not attended and treated properly. People often equate depression with just an episode of sadness and frustration. Some are ashamed of being treated from depression because it might imply a wrong impression to other people that you are some sort of a crazy. Some are simply indenial of it.

According to Mark Olfson, a professor of psychiatry in Columbia University,

"I think there are many reasons people who are depressed don't receive treatment. Some adults who experience depressive symptoms don't believe that they are significant and that they don't need medical attention, or that they can in any way be helped."

US health officials should cast the spotlight to the growing statistics of depression cases in the country. Studies proved that depression is accompanied with several complications like, hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, etc. It also affects other aspects like psychological, social and emotional. Patients with severe depression are usually with altered mood, inability to enjoy life and activities, changes in appetite, sleeping problems and difficulty coping with life. It is estimated that millions of Americans have depression, but just a fraction of it are diagnosed and only an insignificant portion of it are medically treated.