Treating Depression

On one score at least we retain a warm feeling for the British National Health Service. It has refused to pay for mental health treatment that derives from psycho analysis. That includes insight-oriented and touchy feeling treatments. 

It has decided, on the basis of scientific evidence, that it will only pay for one form of talk therapy-- cognitive treatments of depression. 

It sounds about right to me.

And yet, since many depressed patients consult first with their general practitioners, these latter, lacking training in cognitive therapy, simply offer pills. The result, England is a world leader in the consumption of antidepressant medication. 

The British paper, the Sun reports:

GPs should avoid dishing out pills for mild depression and instead encourage exercise, meditation or talking therapies, warns an NHS watchdog.

England already has one of the world's highest rates of anti-depressant use, with more than seven million people using the drugs.

But new draft guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) tell medics not to “routinely offer anti-depressant medication as first-line treatment for less severe depression”.

It wants doctors to present a “menu” of options to patients with mild to moderate symptoms - including exercise, talking therapies, mindfulness or meditation.

Obviously, talking therapies involve cognitive techniques. And, the value of exercise and meditation has long since been known. Scientific studies have determined that conditioning exercise is one of the most effective treatments for depression. It also contributes to physical well being.

Exercise has been proven to boost peoples' mood - and improve feelings of confidence and wellbeing if stuck with with long term.

Only if these approaches fail, or the patient insists, should the NHS prescribe anti-depressants.

Good ideas from the NHS. Credit where credit is due.