Dr. Kevin Most of Northwestern Medicine drops by The Steve Cochran Show for his weekly roundup of medical news to help you live a happier, healthier life. This week, he shares the ranges of depression, what happens if anxiety is left untreated, and the new major guideline changes for mammogram screening. 

Read all of Dr. Most’s notes below and listen every Tuesday morning for more medical news.

May is Mental health awareness month

• Most important message- public needs to eliminate the stigma of mental health
• We need to understand that mental health is a medical condition, just like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease
• Stop being afraid to discuss it, look for signs, it is one illness that the public can identify as quickly as a physician can
• Support individuals with mental health, encourage treatment
• Understand that depression can’t be just shaken off, or a simple comment of “c’mon smile” is not a treatment
• Prevalence of mental health is increasing, yet treatment options are stagnant
• Estimates have over 20 million have had one MAJOR depressive episode, and over 40 million have some form of anxiety
• Depression, Anxiety, Substance Abuse Disorders and thoughts of Suicide have risen dramatically in the past 3 years
• The rise in untreated substance use disorders has also contributed to an increase in overdoses, with over 100,000 overdose deaths occurring in the United States in 2022 
• Depression in adults in the US has risen to the highest levels ever
• 21% of adults, 1 in every 5 adults are experiencing one mental illness.
• 18% of adults say they are depressed or receiving treatment for depression
• 3 in 10 have been clinically diagnosed with depression at some time in their life
• Yet over 50% have never received any treatment
• We saw a big jump of mental health issues during the Covid epidemic, the stress, disruption and loss during the past 3 years has impacted mental health
• Is it a true increase or is more about awareness and acceptance
• The sites for treatment and professionals for treatment have not kept pace with the need
• Estimates are that we are short about 10,000 mental health physicians
• Younger generations are more aware and willing to address depression and thus have higher rates of depression
• 25% of those under the age of 30 say they are currently suffering from depression
• Clinical depression rates are significantly higher in women

What are the symptoms of Depression?

• Continuous low mood or sadness that lasts nearly all day on most days
• Feeling hopeless and helpless.
• Having low self-esteem.
• Feeling tearful with no reason
• Feeling guilt-ridden or worthless.
• Feeling irritable and intolerant of others.
• Finding it difficult to make decisions.
• Loss of interest in activities that the individual previously enjoyed

• Sleep disturbances- both insomnia and excessive sleeping
• Significant weight loss or gain

What are the symptoms of Anxiety?

• Anxiety is the body’s response to worry and fear
• There are many anxiety disorders that appear as worry and stress due to social interactions, personal health, work or a particular phobia
• Panic disorders, PTSD and Obsessive compulsive disorder are very common
• Symptoms include restlessness, feeling on edge, fatigue, muscle tension
• Panic attacks can be debilitating and occur quickly- intense fear triggered by something or a situation
• General anxiety is the most common- individuals have anxiety on most days and lasting at least 6 months

Treatment options for Depression-Anxiety

• Psychotherapy can be very effective and this can be done with a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker or a primary care physician
• Psychotherapy can come in many methods
• Medications can be used- these often take over a month to actually work
• ECT- electroconvulsive therapy has been shown to work well on severe depression

• Self-treatment coping is also important- stay engaged- be active-decrease alcohol use-eat healthy
• Acupuncture has been shown to help in some people

Breast Cancer Screening Changes

• Breast Cancer the most common cancer in women (excluding skin cancer)
• 300,000 new cases of Breast cancer are identified each year
• Death rates from Breast cancer have been going down since 1989- due to earlier identification with increased screening as well as better treatments
• Current screening recommendations from 2016 recommend breast cancer screening begin at 50 yrs old
• New recommendations out last week from the US Preventive Task Force, lower that age to 40 yrs old and screening every other year
• The recommendations from this task force are what insurance companies often follow
• American Cancer Society also recommends Breast Cancer Screening to begin at age 40 yrs old
• The recommendation is every other year from 40- to – 74 yrs of age, many feel it should be annual screening
• This recommendation is available for public comment until June 5th
• This recommendation would be for all women, not high risk alone
• We know there are racial inequities in breast cancer with black women with higher rates, yet lower opportunities for care in many cases.
• Black women are more likely to develop more aggressive cancers at a younger age
• The review showed that earlier screening had benefits that outweighed the risks
• Breast cancer rates in younger women has been increasing each year
• Many cancers are being noted earlier, including breast, thyroid and colon cancer
• Breast cancers identified at s localized state have a 99% survival rate at 5 years, this drops to 30% when the cancer has spread to lungs, liver or bones
• American Cancer Society also recommends screening to start at 40, but done every year for the first 5 years
• Some doctors are still recommending screening every year for younger patients