Millions of Depressed Americans May Be Slipping Through The Cracks, Study Says

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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Nearly three in four American adults who would meet the clinical criteria for depression may not be getting tested for it, according to a new report out of The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Researchers conducted two annual household surveys in 2012 and 2013, screening 46,417 adults for depression using a widely used questionnaire known as the PHQ-2. They also took note of what forms, if any, of treatment these subjects received for depression.

Of those surveyed, 8.4 percent screened positive for depression – yet only 28.7 percent of those who had a positive screen reported receiving any form of treatment (drugs and/or psychological therapy). Of those who were not treated for depression, 78.5 percent had seen a medical provider in the last year.

Conversely, the survey also looked at those individuals that received treatment of any form, and only 29.9 percent of these adults turned out to be PHQ-2 positive.

Adults most at risk for severe psychological distress included those in the lowest income bracket, less than a high-school education, those with public health insurance, and those who were separated, divorced or widowed.  These were the same groups that were less likely to receive treatment for their depression, with the addition of the uninsured, racial/ethnic minorities, and men.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health and the Centers for Disease Control, more than 15 million Americans suffer from depression, a disease that claims more than 41,000 lives annually. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends depression screening for all adults using a the PHQ-2.

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