Study: Most Depression Treated Too Briefly

Research shows that about half of Americans with depression get treatment. But a new study finds that treatment meets current guidelines for only about 1 out of 5. The number drops to 1 out of 10 for depressed Mexican-Americans and African-Americans. Researchers looked at information on 15,762 adults with depression. They found that for most people, treatment is too short to do much good. Talk therapy was used more often than medicines. It was also more likely to meet guidelines than drug treatment. The study appeared in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. HealthDay News wrote about it January 5.