Treating Depression
By Kevin Hein
Treating depression is really an individualized process for each person. Things like severity, type of symptoms present, age, and concurrent medication conditions all play a role in what we might recommend as treatment. In general, however, it is easiest to classify treatment into a couple of different categories; Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy.
Psychotherapy is often recommended as first-line treatment for depression in both children and adults. The most common types of psychotherapy used are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy. A psychologist uses these techniques to help patients identify and correct difficulties within the patient’s life to change maladaptive behaviors. In my practice, I often recommend psychotherapy alone as first-line therapy for treating depression in children and adults with mild or situational depression.
Pharmacotherapy, or treating with medication, is the other major category. This is the other first-line treatment for depression, either in conjunction with psychotherapy or by itself. Because depression is so common, there are many medications on the market. I suspect many of you have seen commercials for antidepressants; It continues to be a rapidly growing area of drug development for pharmaceutical companies. Antidepressants aim to increase transmission of chemicals in the brain that positively affect mood.
Treating Depression - Advantages and disadvantages for both treatment options are listed below:
In practice, I find that I generally recommend psychotherapy for nearly every patient with depression. It is safe, often covered by insurance, and easily accessible in the Twin Cities for most patients. It is a good option for patients with more mild symptoms and/or cannot take or tolerate antidepressants.
When symptoms are more in the moderate to severe range, I often will recommend antidepressants to patients in conjunction with psychotherapy. These two treatment modalities dovetail nicely, along with recommendations of a healthy diet and regular exercise. Our goal is quick, but long-lasting resolution of symptoms when treating depression, and the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy work together to achieve it.
In primary care, we are often on the front-line of treating depression. Because of this, primary care providers are well-trained in identifying the most effective treatments for patients. If you are in need of treatment for depression or have questions regarding your current treatment, make an appointment with a provider at Northwest Family Clinics today.