Diagnosing Depression

By Health Day

Story Created: Feb 13, 2012 at 8:00 PM CDT

Story Updated: Feb 14, 2012 at 8:00 AM CDT

Could a simple blood test one day help doctors diagnose cases of depression?

When mental health care providers suspect that someone has depression, they rely on symptoms to help make the diagnosis. But some cases do slip through.

Now, a new study finds that a blood test may provide much-needed information for identifying this illness- which affects an estimated one in ten U.S. adults

Researchers brought in 36 men and women with major depression, and another 43 who'd never had this problem. Everyone provided a blood sample.

The researchers checked the samples for nine substances that may serve as markers of depression. One of the markers was cortisol, the so-called stress hormone. They used these measurements to create a score that pointed to whether or not each person had depression.

The blood test appeared to be a fairly accurate way to identify people with depression.

The researchers say adding an Òobjective biological test might also help doctors choose the best treatment approach and track a patient's response better.

I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.

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