According to Reuters (2/1, Rapaport), a study published online Feb. 1 in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that many adolescents who receive a diagnosis of depression may not be getting proper follow-up assessment, therapy or medication.
HealthDay (2/1, Preidt) reports that after tracking “the care of more than 4,600 teens with depression symptoms,” researchers found that “36 percent of the teens received no treatment at all within three months of their diagnosis, and more than two-thirds (68 percent) did not have any follow-up assessment.” In addition, “40 percent of those teens who were prescribed antidepressants did not undergo documented follow-up care, the researchers reported.”
Related Links:
— “Many depressed teens don’t get needed treatment,” Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, February 1, 2016.