I was wondering how does a psychiatrist approach a patient who can not speak or communicate but might have a mental disorder the likes of depression and anxiety?
Psychiatrists prescribe medications to treat depression and anxiety, but can they also diagnose them by a blood test? A blood test can measure biomarkers, which are molecules that indicate a normal or abnormal process in the body. For example, cholesterol is a biomarker for heart disease.
A biomarker is simply a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. For example, Cholesterol is a biomarker for heart disease, and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is for thyroid disorders.
So can you?
Turns out they can diagnose depression with a blood test, but as the gold standard response from researchers goes — “Further Research is Needed”
One of the articles from the National Library of Medicine states -
“Studies have demonstrated that people with depression have less ethanolamine phosphate [3] in their blood. The DNA analysis [4] which was done for MDD has also demonstrated this. The advent of the phosphate level blood test led to the correct diagnosis of depression, 82% of the time [3]..”
Depression touches lives everywhere, but its most profound impact is felt in rural areas, where limited access to psychiatrists and psychologists leaves the most vulnerable without help. Disturbingly, suicide rates among rural Indian farmers have emerged as a critical concern for the nation.
A breakthrough study on blood tests for depression was done by scientists at Indiana University School of Medicine, published in April 2021 in Molecular Psychiatry states -
“The team’s work describes the development of a blood test, composed of RNA biomarkers, that can distinguish how severe a patient’s depression is, the risk of them developing severe depression in the future, and the risk of future bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness). The test also informs tailored medication choices for patients.”
If this test proves its effectiveness, it could pave the way for significant progress in saving lives impacted by mental disorders. A precise diagnosis coupled with easily understandable patient information has the potential to rescue lives — an idea that drives us closer to patient-centric care at NirogGyan.
#bloodtest #depression #mentaldisorders #niroggyan #patientengagement
