Depression is one of the most common and important mood disorders found in the primary care setting. Many times, it is a result of accumulated stress over a long period and is, unfortunately, often difficult to diagnose. Because high levels of stress can also cause a multitude of other malicious symptoms, depression can be masked by quite a few unrelated conditions. Therefore, it is important that patients make their emotional state clear to their physicians. By not doing so, patients deprive themselves of proper treatment. It is the physician’s job to help, and those under extreme stress need that help.
Physician concern and trust are crucial for establishing healthy doctor-patient relationships during visits. This can involve listening, increasing patient understanding, offering advice, providing reassurance, and discussing the impact of distress.
In a study by Radcliffe Publishing, researchers found that patients wanted their physicians to talk to them about stress and whether or not they were experiencing feelings of depression. The only problem was that patients weren’t actually willing to share their concerns with their physicians. In the end, physicians found it difficult to tell whether their patients were suffering from a stress-related disorder or some other ailment.
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Physicians who made the extra effort to make their patients comfortable with them were the ones who received the most satisfactory feedback. The reason was that an ongoing feeling of support lessened the feelings of being alone that come with depression. Oftentimes, patients whose emotional distress resulted in a mental health diagnosis reported stronger relationships with their physicians than patients whose emotional distress was not diagnosed. As a result of this, patients have reported feeling much better since discussing their stress with their physicians, rather than holding back and trying to cope on their own.
Physicians may be strangers, but many truly try to help. Opening up to primary care providers is an excellent way to allow them to provide the best support possible.
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