Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Shows Untapped Potential to Treat Depression, Survey Finds
A survey of depression sufferers, commissioned by Achieve TMS, finds that people think this innovative treatment is a viable option, but they need to learn more about it.
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment has great potential to help people suffering from depression, but they need to be better informed of its many benefits, according to a new survey commissioned by Achieve TMS, a leading TMS provider in the United States.
The online survey canvassed about 300 adults with depression in California, Oregon and Alaska on their feelings about depression treatments. Those treatments included medication and therapy, as well as TMS, which is an FDA-approved, MRI-guided neuro-navigation system that sends magnetic pulses to the brain to stimulate neural activity and relieve symptoms of depression, OCD and other conditions. In regards to TMS, the survey found:
- 65% of the people surveyed had not heard about TMS treatment for depression.
- 73.9% of respondents had not heard of the benefits of TMS.
- 10.8% of people surveyed were "very confident" that TMS is a viable treatment option for medically resistant depression, while another 15.3% said they were "confident" in the treatment.
- 21.2% of people believed TMS treatment methods are backed by solid research.
"What this survey tells us is that there are many people who should be taking advantage of TMS, but are missing out because they don't know about this transformative treatment for depression," says Dr. Rick Christie, CEO of Achieve TMS. "In addition, there is also some misinformation about TMS that may be holding people back from treatment. For instance, 65% of people surveyed believed TMS isn't covered by insurance and another 30% were worried about treatment costs. At Achieve TMS, we work with most of the major insurance providers and offer financial payment plans to make this treatment available to as many people as possible. When people in the survey got more information about TMS, they generally believed that TMS treatment is safe with minimal side effects and risks—that is the message we need to promote so more and more people suffering from depression can experience a better quality of life."
About Achieve TMS
Achieve TMS is a leading and highly trusted provider of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), approved in 2013 by the Food and Drug Administration for treating patients with depression. For more information, visit https://achievetms.com/.
SOURCE Achieve TMS
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