Challenges to identifying and treating women with depression in rural primary care

Many women seeking help from rural primary care providers are experiencing major or other types of depression. Women typically do not discuss their depression with their primary care providers although those who did reported finding it very helpful. Feeling understood and advice were particularly viewed as helpful. Major barriers to discussing depression with primary care providers include stigma about depression, lack of time, and perceptions that the primary care providers were not interested in these concerns. Depressed women tend to seek help for certain somatic problems, especially headaches, backaches, muscle pains, sleep problems, feeling tired, and abdominal pains.