Screening, diagnosis, and treatment of depression

The U.S. military and its civilian partners have identified that psychological health problems such as depression and traumatic brain injury represent a significant threat to the health and readiness of the military force. Depression is a growing problem in the military with rates increasing from 2007 to 2010 across all services. Depression can be correlated with negative outcomes such as risk of suicide, risk of harm to others, incarceration, family problems including divorce, and occupational and social problems such as unemployment and homelessness. The military seeks to mitigate and prevent these negative outcomes through screening, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders such as depression. To support that effort, we have reviewed a sample of the literature base to support best practices for the screening, assessment, and treatment of depression within the Military Health System.