Author

David Ogata

Date of Award

5-2015

Document Type

Independent Study

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

Depression is a common and debilitating mental illness in the U.S. It affects a great number of people and yet often it goes undiagnosed and undertreated. Older adults are especially under-diagnosed because of different presentation in symptoms and increased commodities. Mark, a 55 year old male patient presented with fatigue at the clinic. Fatigue can be a symptom of many conditions. Labs were unremarkable and there were no physical examination findings indicating depression. Patient did not report complete depressive symptoms until PHQ-9 was employed. He was diagnosed with moderate depression, opted for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) over antidepressant medications (ADMs). He was referred to a psychologist for CBT treatment. Studies have shown that CBT is as efficacious as antidepressants medications in treating depression; however the effectiveness of CBT is dependent on the knowledge and experience of the therapists

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