Dutch euthanasia for depression, in healthy people, one as young as 16. Wow. Depression at that young age has a good chance of just going away with age even if nothing works. There is a good chance of misdiagnosis. Mood disorder at such a young age (average onset age is 39) is likely the onset of bipolar disorder. The latter tends to not respond to the treatments for unipolar depression.
There is no mention that these patients in the article have had the list of treatments for treatment resistant depression. The best is ECT. Ketamine infusion is FDA approved. It works in 45 minutes, not in 45 days like anti-depressants. It stops suicidal urges even in people whose depression does not improve. There are multiple mood stabilizers that stop suicidal ideas, aripiprazole, clozapine, brexpiprazole, and several others. These should be enhanced by regular exercise, a proven treatment for depression.
The average psychiatrist who has run out of treatments for resistant depression, will then start over. One will ask, is a physical condition presenting as depression being missed. One organizes the 500 cuases by systems, endocrine, infectious, cardio-vascular, such as anemia, nutritional. All depressed patients should have normal or high levels of Vitamin D, and of folic acit (Vitamin B9). People with good folic acid levels had suicide rates 40% lower than those with a deficiency. Infections include Lyme disease, bartonella, and many others. That includes changes in gut microbiome.
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