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May 18, 2009
Survey suggests significant portion of US adolescents with depression may go untreated
Following a HealthDay story, Medscape (5/14) reported that, according to findings from a 2007 nationwide survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), "a significant proportion of US adolescents with depression go untreated."
Specifically, the survey indicates that teenagers "without health insurance were less than half as likely to get treatment as those with Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or private health insurance coverage."
In addition, about two million "youths aged 12 to 17 years have experienced at least one major depressive episode...in the past year," but "only about 40 percent of these adolescents received treatment."
HealthDay noted that the SAMHSA "report is drawn from 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which collected data from a representative sample of approximately 22,000 adolescents across the" US.
Related Links:
- "Majority of US Adolescents With Depression Go Untreated," Caroline Cassels, MedScape, May 14, 2009.
Posted by admin at May 18, 2009 04:51 PM