02/06/2025
Why do we treat depression AND chronic pain? It's good for everyone involved.🎭🌟🩺
"Overall, receiving any type of depression treatment as part of ongoing health care led to a decrease in participants’ depressive symptoms and an increase in their functioning over time. Participants also showed a slight decrease in systolic blood pressure while receiving depression treatment.
"The effects of integrated depression treatment also extended to members of their households. Household members were less likely to experience a depressive episode and showed improvement in depression symptoms, daily functioning, and perceived burden of care for supporting their family member.
"After accounting for improved well-being among both participants and their household members, the researchers determined that integrated depression treatment led to a 32% increase in cost-effectiveness relative to care as usual."
An NIMH-funded study showed that incorporating depression treatment into care for chronic health conditions improved well-being for both patients and their families.