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Study: Diagnosing depression rarely requires trip to psychiatrist

Depression Screening - Header
Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, Director of UT Southwestern’s Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care

Seeing a psychiatrist is not necessarily the most pragmatic solution to diagnosing and treating the growing number of Americans with depression.

Amid limited adherence to national guidelines calling for expanded depression screening, a study of 25,000 patients determined that primary care doctors could successfully detect and treat most depression cases without extra mental health personnel – if given the proper guidance.

In this case, UT Southwestern researchers equipped physicians with web-based software that guided them through protocols for screening patients, prescribing treatments, and measuring their progress. The results, published in the Annals of Family Medicine, show patients had outcomes similar to those seen in psychiatric care.

“It’s difficult to do proper screening for depression in a busy clinical practice,” said Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, founding Director of UT Southwestern’s Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care. “This study shows that primary care physicians can do this, and do it well, with the right tools.”

To read the full version of this story, view it in the UT Southwestern Newsroom.

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