In the wake of Pennsylvania senator John Fetterman’s decision to hospitalize himself for depression treatment, Eric Jarmon, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, can speak about when others should seek such treatment.
The following quotes from Jarmon are available to media covering the issue. To arrange an interview with Jarmon, contact Andrew Smith at andrew.smith3@rutgers.edu.
- Depression is a debilitating condition affecting all aspects of one’s life. The time to ask for help is when daily functioning becomes impacted – you can’t concentrate on school or work, and your relationships with others are affected.
- The first steps include calling your insurance carrier and asking which providers are within network. Unfortunately, there is a lack of providers in mental health and waiting to see a specialist can take months.
- If thoughts of suicide are present, help is available by phone: the New Jersey Suicide Prevention Hopeline, which is run by Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, the new 988 suicide crisis hotline, or 911. People can also go to the nearest emergency department for a psychiatric evaluation. Inpatient psychiatric admission is really about managing acute symptoms and ensuring the patient is safe to return to the community.
- Since depression is a chronic issue for many people, outpatient support is crucial. Having a prescriber and a therapist is ideal for many people with moderate to severe symptoms of depression. Medication management alone is not the solution for most people. In addition to psychotherapy, which will have a long-lasting impact, exercise, regular sleep and a healthy diet are also important.
