Depression Treatment: Where We Are Missing the Mark

Depression affects 450 million people worldwide and 15 million adults in the United States (U.S.) alone. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, claiming over 40,000 lives every year. We see these heartbreaking stories making headlines too often, and there are tens of thousands more we do not know about. The scariest part? There is no end in sight. Antidepressants are one of the three most commonly used therapeutic drug classes in the United States. Approximately 1 in 9 Americans of all ages reported taking at least one antidepressant medication — a number that was less than 1 in 50 just three decades ago. The recent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain highlighted the growing need for a comprehensive solution for depression rates in the United States. In response to the suicides, many turned to the FDA to develop new drugs. So, why aren’t suicide rates dropping? The reality is up to one third of patients suffering from depression do not respond to or cannot tolerate antidepressant medication. Today, there are a number of other treatments that have been proven to be effective in helping those with treatment-resistant depression achieve remission. These treatments can work in combination with each other and psychotherapy. Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (Deep TMS), the “helmet that treats depression”, is a non-invasive neurostimulation therapy that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve sympto...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Antidepressants Bipolar Depression Medications Mood Stabilizers Neuroscience Suicide Treatment Deep brain stimulation Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation Depression Treatment Electroconvulsive Therapy Major Depressive Disorder Source Type: news