Thanks,
Clueless and Concerned

Your questions about getting help for your boyfriend's possible depression show awareness and caring — he's lucky to have someone so vigilant and concerned in his life.

As for whom your boyfriend needs to see, mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, are trained to diagnose and treat depression. Your boyfriend may be tempted to see his family doctor due to the close familiarity that they may have with one another. Because of this history, your boyfriend may be more comfortable discussing mental health matters with a familiar face as opposed to a new one. However, family doctors are not trained specifically to diagnose and manage mental health conditions. As medical doctors, psychiatrists are experts in the physical causes of mental illnesses and the medications used to treat them. Clinical psychologists cannot prescribe medications, but specialize in talk-therapy, a powerful, proven method of treating depression.

It is also common for more than one health professional to help an individual manage and overcome their depression. Because getting help in the first place is most important, whichever mental health professional your boyfriend will see first would be the best option. Then that person can refer him to someone else with additional or complementary skills, if it is necessary. In any case, you're right in that the earlier he is diagnosed and begins treatment, the sooner he (and you) can start to see improvements in his mood.

Here at Columbia, psychiatrists and clinical psychologists jointly serve students' mental health needs. Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), on the 8th floor of Lerner Hall, is home to the mental health practitioners. Many members of the Columbia community use CPS and, as you've found, sometimes appointments are scheduled a week or two from when the call is made. However, students who don't have appointments but urgently need to see a counselor can call CPS at x4-2878 to describe their situation with the receptionist. S/he then can arrange for them to speak with a clinician over the phone, and then might possibly be seen right away in urgent cases. CPS also has small offices in some of the residence halls with extended evening hours, which could work for your boyfriend. He needs to view his mental health as important as his physical health. So in an emergency, changing his schedule to see a mental health professional for his possible depression is similar to seeing a medical provider when he's sick.

Regarding what your boyfriend needs to say, health care providers, especially mental health professionals, are specifically trained for just such potentially-awkward encounters. They will probably ask your boyfriend some questions about why he thinks he might be depressed and general questions about what is going on in his life. It isn't a quiz. There aren't any right or wrong answers, or even "normal" answers. An honest, open discussion is likely the approach that will best serve your boyfriend's health needs in this matter. (Also, he needn't worry about this information leaving the office, as each session is strictly confidential.)

If he should find that he is particularly uncomfortable with one service provider, he is entitled to ask to see someone with whom he may feel more at ease. You may even suggest that the two of you go to CPS together, if that would make him more comfortable.

For more information about how to help someone close to you who may be depressed, read through the Related Q&As listed below and then schedule an appointment with your own school's or even his counseling service to learn ways to be there for your loved one in need.

Alice

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