A new study surveying data on more than 46,000 people has recently revealed that most American adults who suffer from depression are not receiving treatment.
In the study, the researchers found that 8% had depression but only a third were being treated for mood disorder.
The experts listed several possible reasons behind these findings.
“Some adults who experience depressive symptoms do not believe they are significant and require medical attention,” lead researcher Dr. Mark Olfson said in his report.
Olfson, a professor of psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in New York City, also said that in other cases stigma or shame interferes with a desire to get professional help.
On another note, the study also revealed that some patients are overtreated with antidepressants, but the exact percentage couldn’t be determined in the study data.
"Some patients with less prominent, milder forms of depression may request and receive antidepressants, despite evidence that these medications have little or no therapeutic benefit for mild depression," Olfson said.