More nuanced diagnoses of depression

Australian research will look into the different ways mental health professionals can diagnose and treat depression.

Professor Christopher Sharpley, from the University of New England’s Brain-Behavior Research Group, said a person can qualify for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder in nearly 1500 different ways. He said this probably explains why general treatments such as anti-depressants work in only about 50 per cent of cases.

“We are trying to diagnose depression in more detail than just the total score from a simple set of questions or interview, to look at aspects of the depression itself,” he said.

Listen below to hear more from Sharpley.