A recent article, Why Are Patients Reluctant To Reveal Depressive Symptoms To Their Family Doctor, highlights a study identifying reasons a person may not tell their primary care physician about depression or symptoms of depression. The most common reason patients don’t want to disclose depressive symptoms to their doctors is they fear that they will be advised to take antidepressant medication. Others think that it is not the job of a family doctor to deal with mental problems. Still others don’t like the idea of being referred to a psychiatrist and having it show up on their insurance.
It’s worth noting that recent studies have shown that while medication is appropriate and necessary in some cases, depression can be treated through some forms of counseling or therapy as effectively as with medication.