Though 80 percent of depressed people can be effectively treated, nearly two out of three of those suffering from this illness do not seek or receive appropriate treatment. Effective treatments include both medication and psychotherapy, which are sometimes used in combination. Of particular significance, depression often co-occurs with medical, psychiatric, and substance abuse disorders. When this happens, the presence of both illnesses is frequently unrecognized and may lead to serious and unnecessary consequences for patients and families. The rate of major depression among those with medical illnesses is significant.
Depressed feelings can be a common reaction to many medical illnesses.
However, depression severe enough to receive a psychiatric diagnosis is not the expected reaction to medical illness. For that reason, when present, specific treatment should be considered for clinical depression even in the presence of another disorder. They may also have a shorter life expectancy than non-depressed MI patients. Approximately 25 percent of cancer patients. Between 10 and 27 percent of post-stroke patients.