Why is Treatment Important?

Depression Can Affect More Than Your Mood

If left untreated–or ineffectively treated–depression can be a devastating illness resulting in loss of quality of life, long term unemployment, and additional chronic health problems.

According to the World Health Organization, depression is the world’s leading cause of disability (in years lived with disability) and the world’s fourth leading cause of global disease burden (in disability adjusted life years) . By 2020, the World Health Organization projects that it will become the world’s second leading cause of global disease burden.¹

Correctly diagnosing and treating depression is imperative for a quick recovery and long term remission. When depression is not effectively treated, the neural networks of the brain continue to weaken, symptoms may become more pronounced, negative thinking patterns may develop, unhealthy behaviors or routines may also develop, and co-occuring medical conditions such as cardiac disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and diabetes may worsen or become more difficult to treat. In fact, higher rates of hospitalization and mortality are  observed in patients diagnosed with both depression and a comorbid medical condition. ²

The Earlier You Find The Right Treatment, The More Likely You Will Get Better and Stay Better

When patients do seek treatment–primarily in the form of antidepressant medications and/or psychotherapy–only about 50% will reach full remission (no symptoms), leaving another 50% who continue to experience chronic, residual symptoms. ³

In addition, every time a person experiences a depressive episode the likelihood of having another dramatically increases. After the first episode, there is a 60% likelihood of another episode; after 2 episodes the risk of a third episode jumps to 70%; after 3 episodes the risk of a fourth increases to 90%. ⁴

In an effort to determine the effectiveness of different types medications used to treat Major Depression, the National Institute of Mental Health conducted a seven-year study, involving more than 4,000 patients, called the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) Study. ⁵. The results of this study show the limitations of medication treatments for a large population of patients. ⁶

Due to the nature of Major Depression, whose episodes can be triggered by life events, negative situations, unhealthy relationships, etc., the risk of relapse is always present. The STAR*D followed both patients who had remitted and who had some response to the medication (but who did not achieve full remission) over the months following their initial response to treatment. The study results showed that even with remission, there is a high likelihood of relapse. According to the study, the relapse occurred within approximately 2.5 to 4.5 months following  response to treatment. This risk of relapse increased with each subsequent treatment failure, as illustrated below.⁷

The STAR*D study is monumental achievement in the effort to understand how to effectively treat Major Depression. It also emphasizes the fact that more effective treatment tools need to be utilized and developed in order to do so.

Remission rates and lower rates of relapse seem to correlate with severity of symptoms, history of illness, and history of response to treatment. Therefore, the earlier patients find an effective treatment for them, the more likely they will remain healthy in the long term.