New York—Most patients screening positive for depression in a study didn’t receive treatment within the first year, according to research on how depression is treated in adults in the United States. Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center analyzed data from more than 46,000 adults, aged 18 years and older, who took part in a government survey conducted in 2012-2013, which screened for depression and included questions about psychological distress and depression treatment. Results published online by JAMA Internal Medicine indicate that respondents who screened positive for depression were more likely to be in the lowest income group; to be separated, divorced, or widowed; have public health insurance; or have less than a high school education. More than two-thirds of them didn’t receive treatment during the survey year, according to the report.

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