ATLANTA, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- All U.S. primary care providers should screen adults for depression, officials of the American College of Preventive Medicine say.
The ACPM, a national organization of physicians, announced new guidelines it says are in line with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation that primary care providers have systems in place to screen and treat depression.
"Depressive disorders are common in primary care settings and are associated with substantial morbidity and disability for individuals, as well as direct and indirect costs to society," Dr. Michael Compton of Atlanta, who is one of the ACPM guideline authors, says in a statement. "Yet, depression is a highly treatable condition, and the goal of treatment is complete recovery."
Compton says all primary care providers should be equipped to screen for depression and to assure timely and adequate treatment, either in their own practices or through an established system of referral to mental health professionals.
