Primary care docs can help depressed teens

Adolescents suffering from depression don't necessarily have to see a specialist; they can often be helped by their primary care doctor, according to a report in the medical journal Pediatrics.

"All of us have some tools of the trade at our disposal, and we are familiar with applying them for other problems," Dr. Ruth E. K. Stein told Reuters Health. "We should not be afraid of using them for adolescent depression."

Stein, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, and colleagues reviewed existing studies to assess the effects of various forms of depression treatment in primary care settings.

Four studies provided some direct evidence for the effectiveness of primary care management of depression in adolescents. "Nonetheless," the authors say, "the evidence is still somewhat sparse, and more research is needed."

More than a dozen additional studies not focused on adolescent depression suggest that primary care interventions can be beneficial, the report indicates.

The researchers also note that guidelines for managing adolescent depression will be available soon. "These guidelines," the investigators write, "should be an important first step in improving the ability of primary care clinicians to address these issues."

For primary care doctors who haven't seen a lot of teen depression cases, educational interactive sessions on diagnosis and treatment are available, Stein said. The aim is "to provide an easy access on-call consultation system for primary care pediatricians who want help in handling these and other common issues."

SOURCE: Pediatrics, August 2006.