Early Intervention May Help Prevent Clinical Depression

Individuals experiencing depression symptoms that may not yet meet the criteria for clinical depression may still benefit greatly from therapeutic interventions, according to research published recently in The Lancet: Psychiatry. Researchers analyzed 30 studies involving around 3,600 adults who had “subclinical symptoms” of depression. For those who received early therapeutic interventions, such as behavioral therapy, problem-solving training, exercises to improve sleep, etc., the risk of developing clinical depression was reduced by 42 percent in the first six months, compared with individuals who received no interventions. After a year, the risk was still reduced by 33 percent. There was no long-term data available. Interestingly, the effectiveness of interventions didn’t depend on age, gender, education level, or other similar factors. The researchers noted, however, that interventions tended to be more effective among participants who had not been treated previously for depression. The takeaway messages are that you shouldn’t dismiss or downplay depression symptoms even if they don’t meet the definition of clinical depression, and that early interventions may help prevent your symptoms and your condition from progressing.

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