Depression is more than feeling sad or "blue". Depression can interfere with daily life. Most people who seek treatment can start to make progress toward feeling better. This means they are responding well to treatment.
Care You Should Expect to Receive - High-quality care for treatment of depression may include medication, sessions with a therapist or lifestyle changes. It can take time to find the treatment that works best for you. Receiving a diagnosis, customizing a treatment plan and following up with your doctor are very important. Your provider should ask you to complete the Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9, during each visit to see how well your treatment is working.
Symptoms of depression can interfere with a patient’s daily life:
- lack of appetite or increased appetite
- sleeping too much or too little
- loss of interest in once pleasurable activities
- feeling of hopelessness
How Will This Help Me? Even patients with severe depression can get better. Our information will show you how many patients were making progress 6 months after starting treatment. We can also show you the number of patients who continued to make progress over a 12 month period.