The Latest Breaking News from Depression

PHILADELPHIA -- When U.S. Sen. John Fetterman checked into a hospital for clinical depression last month, critics questioned whether he would be able to serve his six-year term.

Nearly 3 in 4 who take antidepressants do not get complete relief and are usually categorized as having a difficult-to-treat type of depression referred to, controversially, as “treatment-resistant depression.” We see patients who feel demoralized by the implied and untrue notion that their depression is “incurable."

Misinformation about antidepressants is rife and is probably fuelling their rise in use. Chief among these false ideas are:

A plumber who shows up to fix a leaking toilet with a single tool is not likely to succeed. The same is true if a mental health professional offers only one approach for a complex problem like depression.