Seeking Help
It is imperative that you seek help if you are concerned about your, or someone else’s, mental well being.
Help is available through your local GP.
What to expect when you speak to your GP:
In diagnosing depression, the GP can ask the following questions:
- During the last month have you been feeling down, depressed or hopeless?
- During the last month have you often been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things?
The following three questions may also be asked – during the last month, have you often been bothered by:
- Feelings of worthlessness?
- Poor concentration?
- Thoughts of death?
Patients may then be assessed using one or several screening tools:
- Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9): this is a nine-item questionnaire which helps both to diagnose depression and to assess severity.
- Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale: despite its name, this has been validated for use in primary care. It is designed to assess both anxiety and depression. It takes about 5 minutes to complete.
- Beck Depression Inventory® – Second Edition (BDI-II): this also uses DSM-IV criteria. It takes about five minutes to complete.
More details about the diagnosis of depression and the tools used can be found at Patient UK
Once a diagnosis has been made a treatment plan will be drawn up. This may include self help strategies (such as exercise, good nutrition, reducing alcohol, reading), talking therapies (individual CBT, interpersonal therapy, behavioural activation, behavioural couples’ therapy and problem solving therapy) and anti -depressant medication. The severity of the diagnosis will determine the appropriate treatment combination.
Your GP should discuss with you the treatment options available and what local services they would recommend. If your GP recommends talking therapies then you may be able to access NHS support through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (IAPT) if there is a service operating in your area. Please click here for more advice.
The National Institute for Clinical excellence (NICE) has produced a guidance document for patients, carers and their families about how they should expect Depression to be treated.
Finally do not let the worry of what others might think stop you asking for help. In the UK 74% of men and 60% of women with a common mental health problem had not approached their GP for help due to either ignorance of mental health problems, perceived stigma, or believing treatment would not help. If depression is treated as soon as possible the severity and occurrence of future episodes can be greatly reduced.
Depression | Recognising depression | Seeking Help | Help Now