Task force recommends that doctors should screen all adults for depression

[Jusme]

While I was at A&M, the health clinic gave these screenings each time a patient went to the clinic to see a doctor. The nurse would give you a sheet of paper with three "How often have you felt or thought about X?" questions. Nothing I ever reported led to a doctor saying anything, but they did lead me to at least consider my personal mental state over the years that I was there

I don't think the screenings should be in any way mandatory, but if they can help people to stop and think about their own mental health then I think they're worthwhile.

I agree that everyone should be cognizant of their mental health, however I think this type of preemptive screening could drive away those who may really need help and potentially worse, any conclusions drawn from a non voluntary test with no controlled parameters i.e. someone answering facetiously, along with new executive orders to include more mental health findings in NICS reporting the potential for abuse and possibly someone being stripped of their 2A rights is more intrusive than I want from my doctors.

[Rex B]

25% of the adult population is on antidepressants. I bet the drug companies are printing the forms

[tomtexan]

25% of the adult population is on antidepressants. I bet the drug companies are printing the forms

[ScottDLS]

A friend of mine told me generic Prozac (Fluoxetine) is pretty cheap.... ~$12.00 a bottle, Big Pharma probably pushing the newer ones...

[TVegas]

While I was at A&M, the health clinic gave these screenings each time a patient went to the clinic to see a doctor. The nurse would give you a sheet of paper with three "How often have you felt or thought about X?" questions. Nothing I ever reported led to a doctor saying anything, but they did lead me to at least consider my personal mental state over the years that I was there

I don't think the screenings should be in any way mandatory, but if they can help people to stop and think about their own mental health then I think they're worthwhile.

I agree that everyone should be cognizant of their mental health, however I think this type of preemptive screening could drive away those who may really need help and potentially worse, any conclusions drawn from a non voluntary test with no controlled parameters i.e. someone answering facetiously, along with new executive orders to include more mental health findings in NICS reporting the potential for abuse and possibly someone being stripped of their 2A rights is more intrusive than I want from my doctors.

Those are certainly valid concerns, which is why I would never be in support of the screening if it were mandatory.

I could be wrong, but I believe that unless you're a significant danger to yourself or others, a physician would be in violation of HIPPA if they reported your health information to the government. If a doctor is ever forced to report that type of information, then I would guess that a court challenge wouldn't take long to pop up.

[VMI77]

That's depressing.

One does not have to be depressed, merely "at risk of depression."

God only knows that that might mean.

Whatever those in power what it to mean.

[VMI77]

"These recommendations are taking something that is good and making it even better," said Dr. Michael E. Thase, professor of psychiatry at University of Pennsylvania and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia. Thase was not involved in creating the recommendations but wrote an editorial about them in the same issue of the journal.

I think this man should see a good psychiatrist.

Psychiatrists drive me crazy.

I represented one briefly, and in another matter endured a lengthy boundary dispute involving a pair of them on the other side. These two dim-bulbs had trained their then 5 year old son to be deathly afraid of automobiles. "Disturbed" is the only word I could use to describe them.

As a "profession," the nuttiest most dysfunctional people in the world are psychiatrists and psychologists.

[VMI77]

While I was at A&M, the health clinic gave these screenings each time a patient went to the clinic to see a doctor. The nurse would give you a sheet of paper with three "How often have you felt or thought about X?" questions. Nothing I ever reported led to a doctor saying anything, but they did lead me to at least consider my personal mental state over the years that I was there

I don't think the screenings should be in any way mandatory, but if they can help people to stop and think about their own mental health then I think they're worthwhile.

You've obviously never been clinically depressed. Having had a intimate relationship with someone who was truly depressed and treated for depression I say the screenings are invasive, and not only not worthwhile, but potentially destructive. I absolutely guarantee you that someone who is really depressed doesn't need to fill out a form to know it. In fact, the incentive is the opposite....to lie about their feelings because of who is going to see this information and how it might be used against them.

[crazy2medic]

As a retired firefighter of 22 yrs it has been my experience that forcing certain individuals (read creative) to participate in something they resent or simply see no reason for will get you results you never even thought about. We had 36 firefighters that everytime a new rule was imposed there would be 36 ideas for how to work around it or make it so burdensome that the city would rethink it, my first thought was hand me a psych test and I bet I could come up with some really interesting answers

[Abraham]

"I get a questionnaire about depression and falling every time I visit my doctor. I always decline, but once a nurse told me it was "the law", which is not true."

"It's the law" type statements uttered by medical staff as if they're deputized by law to intimidate you, a mere patient, who must bend to their will, reminds of the kind of horrors that went on in recent Russian history, where many "patient's were remanded to prison for so-called psychiatric reasons.

As it stands, my PCP just this past week, retired.

I'm in the market for a new one. If, when I find one, I get questioned about things that are in the realm of things that smack of leftist leaning twaddle, like are there guns in the house or I MUST fill out this questionnaire, replete with questions that have no bearing on my medical history, I will simply throw the questionnaire into the trash and resume my search for a PCP...

I will not be bullied by petty bureaucratic type nurses or doctors who insist they can get into by business beyond my medical needs.

[Jusme]

As a retired firefighter of 22 yrs it has been my experience that forcing certain individuals (read creative) to participate in something they resent or simply see no reason for will get you results you never even thought about. We had 36 firefighters that everytime a new rule was imposed there would be 36 ideas for how to work around it or make it so burdensome that the city would rethink it, my first thought was hand me a psych test and I bet I could come up with some really interesting answers

Exactly, if someone wants to play around they can skew the results to anything they want, so my question is, if these screenings show a "potential" for depression, or any other issues for that matter, whether its is a HIPPA violation or not, won't doctors be compelled to report these findings? Especially if Federal medical funding could be withheld if they fail to do so. Again, I may be looking for a "grassy knoll" but this sounds a lot like a backhanded attempt to start categorizing people who could be denied their 2A rights.

[JALLEN]

As a retired firefighter of 22 yrs it has been my experience that forcing certain individuals (read creative) to participate in something they resent or simply see no reason for will get you results you never even thought about. We had 36 firefighters that everytime a new rule was imposed there would be 36 ideas for how to work around it or make it so burdensome that the city would rethink it, my first thought was hand me a psych test and I bet I could come up with some really interesting answers

Getting around rules, "cheating", is the national pastime, not baseball. Rules don't apply, there are loopholes, "you can't make me!" Etc.

I'm convinced the only reason the Internal Revenue Code has not led to revolution is that so many take pleasure in cutting the corners, figuring out little cheats, sometimes big cheats. The Fair Tax is much more efficient, fair, simple and effective, but will never be popular because of those qualities. People love to cheat, or think they are getting away with something. Not being able to do so would be torture, intolerable.

Think how tempting it is to take advantage of a sign that isn't strictly compliant. "Neener, neener, neener, you didn't catch me and can't do anything even if you had!"

If everyone started doing what they were supposed to do, I'd have had to go to barber college!

[VMI77]

As a retired firefighter of 22 yrs it has been my experience that forcing certain individuals (read creative) to participate in something they resent or simply see no reason for will get you results you never even thought about. We had 36 firefighters that everytime a new rule was imposed there would be 36 ideas for how to work around it or make it so burdensome that the city would rethink it, my first thought was hand me a psych test and I bet I could come up with some really interesting answers

Exactly, if someone wants to play around they can skew the results to anything they want, so my question is, if these screenings show a "potential" for depression, or any other issues for that matter, whether its is a HIPPA violation or not, won't doctors be compelled to report these findings? Especially if Federal medical funding could be withheld if they fail to do so. Again, I may be looking for a "grassy knoll" but this sounds a lot like a backhanded attempt to start categorizing people who could be denied their 2A rights.

It is, but that's not the only reason. I suspect the primary motive is the same as the primary motive for much of everything else that happens in the world: money, and the love of money...in the form of more revenue for doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, insurance companies, and big pharma. Of course, once the information exists anyone and everyone who can somehow benefit from it will be doing all they can to get their hands on it...particularly government (manufacturing more dependents and getting more control over those who aren't dependent), insurance companies (more customers and higher premiums), and big pharma (more drugs and higher prices).

[Bitter Clinger]

Depressed? Yes I'm depressed! For the last 7 years I've had Obama for a president.

I feel a worsening of symptoms coming on...

[Antares]

Look at our society now every kid in school that acts bored, overly, active or what ever condition is the new focus is put on Ritalin or some other antidepressant, upper, downer or whatever is the new drug of choice to quiet whatever problem the teacher thinks is wrong. No stress schools if a kid displays a little anxiety it's here take this it will help you feel just fine. Creating a class of zombies all nice quiet and compliant. It looks like they are trying to do this to us. VA asks are you in pain, do you feel depressed, and another one that they are using is do you drink and how much. Seems innocent right?