Glen Stimmel

Glen Stimmel is dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of people with depression through research, patient care, and — especially — education. Because depression is poorly identified by patients and physicians alike, he says, depressed people do not always receive the help they need.

Stimmel, who has written extensively about depression, points out that due to managed health care, a majority of depressed people are treated exclusively by a primary care physician instead of seeking help from a psychiatrist, which contributes to missed diagnoses and inadequate treatment.

Despite advances in drug therapy, Stimmel says, patient education remains an obstacle in the treatment of the depression. "Many patients are hesitant to discuss feelings of depression with their physician since that would require an admission of emotional weakness," he says. "Other patients are uninformed about depression, believing that their symptoms are a natural part of life. Physicians and pharmacists can help their patients recover from depression by investing time for education, by understanding the perspective of the patient and by negotiating treatment options."