Problem
Reports released by the World Health Organization illustrate that depression is the leading mental disorder in the US. This point is supported by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) statistics which indicate that in 2017 about 17.3 million Americans suffered from an episode of major depression in the past year (Brody, Pratt, & Hughes, 2018). This figure comes down to 7.1 percent of all adults across the nation. 63.8 percent of adults who suffer major depression, experience severe impairment that barred them from undertaking normal daily activities (Morin, 2019). The outcome is increased functional impairment and high societal costs. Depression has been ranked as the tenth cause of death in the US. Even though depression is a treatable disorder, about 35 percent of depression cases go untreated, while 6 percent are under-treated. Note that in this case, under treatment means the use of medication alone in attempting to counteract the effects of a complex disease. Studies indicate that failure to treat depression or undertreating it result in the overuse of general medical services, which increases the risk of both functional and occupational impairment and suicide. In this regard, this PICOT assignment proposes the use of multiple interventions, including both traditional and digital techniques to maximize the treatment outcome of depression and anxiety.
Intervention
Today, routine screening for depression among adults is recommended, but only half of the depressed patients are recognized. A small portion of diagnosed cases is treated while others are undertreated or left untreated. In most cases, physicians and patients prefer medication therapies, but such an approach fails to capture the full-complexity of depression. As such, this PICOT assignment proposes the use of an intervention that combines various available therapies, including medication, behavioural and, digital therapies. By combining interventions, caregivers will be able to treat the disorder and prevent its reoccurrence in the future. Medications can offer short-term solutions as one receives behavioural therapy that aims to identify the underlying cause(s). At the same time, the digital treatment enables the patient to memorize his/her medication while tracking changes in mood over time. The provided information allows the patient to note when to see a doctor as well as the tactics that can be undertaken to minimize the reoccurrence of the disease. In summary, the use of combination therapies can maximize the treatment outcome of depression by tackling the ailment, uncovering its cause and, preventing possible reoccurrence
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Comparison
Depression has been identified as a risk factor for other mental disorders like anxiety. Regardless of the recognition, depression is still undertreated in most cases. This point is supported by studies that reveal that the utilization of antidepressants has been on the rise, implying over-reliance on medications (Sorkin, Ngo-Metzger, Billimek, August, & Greenfield, 2011). Failure to combine antidepressants with other approaches aimed at pinpointing the actual cause of a patient’s depression could be considered a short-term solution. Unlike other diseases, psychological disorders are less tangible, and thus, patients and physicians are more likely to ignore or under-rate them. Depression patients who rely on medication therapy alone tend to adopt a perception that treats drugs as the final answer to their problem. Such a mentality prevents a patient from seeking further assistance in identifying the underlying issues and finding effective strategies to prevent the reoccurrence of the illness. By combining various therapies, healthcare providers can increase a patient’s engagement in the treatment plan as well as wellness management afterward (Henson, Wisniewski, Hollis, Keshavan, & Torous, 2019).
Outcomes
A treatment approach that merges traditional and digital therapies maximize depression treatment outcomes by treating the symptoms, identifying the underlying causes and, tracking signs that might indicate the reoccurrence of the disease. The use of a single approach of treatment tackles one facet of the depression. For instance, antidepressants might treat the symptoms. However, drugs will not point out the cause of the recession. Such a goal can only be attained by behavioural therapy, which aims to foster positive behaviour change in a patient. Furthermore, depression can go unnoticed by the patient for some time, which increases the risk of self-harm and suicide. This problem can be avoided by the use of digital apps, which help one track his/her mood and get suggestions on when to visit a doctor.
Time
Other than the evidence available in previous studies, the effect of combining traditional and digital approaches on the treatment outcomes of depression can be determined by a quantitative survey carried out over nine months. Patients aged between 20 and 25, with no history of depression can be organized into three groups. The first group will receive medication therapy, the second category will be treated using behavioural therapy, and group three will merge medication, behavioural, and, digital treatments. The patient’s progress will be noted after every three months, to access the rate of improvement.
References
Brody, D. J., Pratt, L. A., & Hughes, J. P. (2018). Prevalence of Depression among Adults Age 20 and Over: United States, 2013-2016. CDC .
Henson , P., Wisniewski, H., Hollis, C., Keshavan, M., & Torous, J. (2019). Digital mental health apps and the therapeutic alliance: initial review. NCBI, 5 (1).
Morin, A. (2019, July 26). Depression Statistics Everyone Should Know. Verywell Mind . Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-statistics-everyone-should-know-4159056
Sorkin , D. H., Ngo-Metzger, Q., Billimek , J., August , K. J., & Greenfield, S. (2011). Underdiagnosed and Undertreated Depression Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Patients With Type 2 Diabetes. American Diabetes Association , 598-600.
