Kaiser Permanente researchers report that despite the availability of effective treatments for depression and a growing effort to detect and begin treating depression during primary care visits, only about a third of individuals newly diagnosed with the condition start treatment within the first 90 days. Out of a total of more than 240,000 patients in the U.S. who received a new diagnosis of depression in a primary care setting, researchers found:
- Slightly less than 36% initiated antidepressant medication or psychotherapy within 90 days of their diagnosis;
- Among patients with more severe depression, about half started treatment;
- Patients who were 60 years or older at the time of diagnosis were half as likely to begin treatment as patients under the age of 44;
- For patients who did initiate treatment, more than 80% started antidepressant medication rather than psychotherapy;
- Older patients were less likely to choose psychotherapy, with 25% of patients age 18-29 starting counseling, compared to 7% of patients age 75 and older; and
To address low rates of initiation of treatment for depression, Kaiser Permanente is implementing a depression care management program that brings depression treatment into primary care by having a team of professionals work with a primary care physician and psychiatrist to create customized care plans and track newly diagnosed patients.