Updated July 03, 2003.

Medications and psychotherapy were both significantly more effective in decreasing depressive symptoms than the community referral sample, which received little treatment. With community referral, researchers made appointments for care, but very few women attended the sessions.

Medications were more effective than no treatment at 6 months for reducing patients' depressive symptoms, improving home and work life, and increasing their ability to get along with others and engage in social activities.

Psychotherapy was more effective than no treatment at 6 months for decreasing depressive symptoms and relating to others, but it did not improve home and work life.

The 88 women in the medication group were twice as likely as those referred to community care to achieve a significant reduction on depression rating scale scores.

Researchers believe that without outreach involving education, encouragement to comply with treatment, transportation, and child care, few poor women are likely to receive appropriate depression treatment. Results suggest that treating depression in this population improves the functioning of these young women if they have tools to overcome barriers to care and receive treatment services.

NIMH is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Federal Government's primary agency for biomedical and behavioral research. NIH is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Articles in The Science of Mental Health are written by the originating institution.

This article was written by the staff at the National Institute of Mental Health