A past loss linked to the day may seem more poignant. Or the joyousness of a holiday, like Christmas, may serve only to deepen feelings of sadness or aloneness. Be especially watchful of a depressed person at these times. Resources Family physicians, clinics and health maintenance organizations can provide treatment or make referrals to mental health specialists. Mental health specialists include psychiatrists, psychologists, family therapists and social workers.
Psychiatrists can prescribe antidepressant drugs because they are physicians.
Other mental health specialists, however, often work with physicians to ensure their patients receive the medications they need. Community mental health centers, which often provide treatment based on the patient's ability to pay, usually have a variety of mental health specialists. Hospitals and university medical schools may have research centers that study and treat depression. Depression in the elderly. Population surveys of pyschiatric disorder and the need for treatment.