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Mental Health: Options Available

As the mental health issues in Fort Collins and the US at large continue, it becomes more and more important to remain informed as

According to Michigan Advanced Psychiatry, “Each year, more than 5 million adolescents in the U.S. experience a major depressive episode”

(link to national institute of mental health definition of MDD) .They attributed this to academic stress and social media pressures, amongst other things. But now there are more options for help than ever. 


Treatments for depression come in three main forms: brain stimulation, chemical antidepressants and psychotherapy. The first that we will be discussing is brain stimulation.


  TMS is a treatment option for mental health, which falls under the category of brain stimulation. It has been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) since 2008, and for patients over 15 since 2024 according to Michigan Advanced Psychiatry. It is used to treat patients with treatment-resistant depression, MDD (Major Depressive Disorder), which is colloquially known as depression, which is accompanied by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in things TMS can also treat things like anxiety, according to TMS solutions.  Treatment resistant depression is just regular depression that two separate traditional  depression treatments have failed work on according to the Cleveland Clinic

 

The way that TMS works is that there is a machine with an electromagnet on it: it uses a magnetic coil to stimulate the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, which is this part of the brain:    

It uses an electromagnetic coil to reach and stimulate that part of the brain underneath the skull, according to Sherab Tsheringla via Yale Medicine. During treatment, the coil stimulates parts of the brain related to emotional control, the Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex(DLPFC), and that are thought to be stimulated less during depression.


The treatment has two main forms: the first is repetitive TMS,  or  rTMS which is used to treat depression. The second form of TMS is deep TMS, which is used to treat OCD as well as to stop smoking, which are the approved uses by the FDA but you may ask what are the side effects?according to the Mayo Clinic


TMS has multiple known side effects, including scalp irritation, headaches, tingling spasms, or twitching of facial muscles, and lightheadedness, according to the Mayo Clinic. Although it would be noted that hearing loss can occur without hearing protection due to the loud clicking noise created by the pulsing magnets, Sherab Tsheringla via Yale Medicine. These all seem to disappear after treatment (excluding hearing loss, which can be prevented) within a couple of hours. Despite this, TMS is remarkably safe, with one expert saying: “TMS is as safe as having an MRI [magnetic resonance imaging], and it does not involve radiation.” Sherab Tsheringla via Yale Medicine


The next treatment are chemical antidepressants. Antidepressants work by affecting the way neurotransmitters work in the brain. Typically affecting serotonin and norepinephrine. These are neurotransmitters in the brain. They typically take several weeks to start working and require several weeks to taper off safely. Cleveland Clinic. 


They also have some major side effects due to being ingested into the entire body and not just affecting the brain. These side effects can include drowsiness, headache, and diarrhea, among others. According to the Cleveland Clinic. 


These are typically the first treatment prescribed to combat depression. They can also be prescribed to treat other things in what is called off-label prescription. They often treat the symptoms of depression instead of the causes so they often go hand in hand with psychotherapy. According to the Cleveland Clinic

 

Which brings us to treatment option #3 Psychotherapy is also colloquially known as talk therapy and also as therapy it is what most people imagine when one says therapy it is consultation with a trained medical professional (phycologist or a psychiatrist). According to the Cleveland Clinic


Of course all of these treatments are effective with psychotherapy treatments being labeled as around 70 percent effective by PubMed Central (PMC)  while TMS was stated to be 60% effective by Sherab Tsheringala via Yale Medicine and anti depressants were stated to be more of a case by case basis for effectiveness by the Cleveland Clinic while they could help some people more than others. Regardless it is important to remain informed about all treatment options available to you if you become one of those five million people.

F.B. Brookings is a sophomore at Poudre High School. This is his first year in the Poudre Press. He is currently involved in many clubs at Poudre, including but not limited to  Model UN,  Mock Trial, and Math Club. In his spare time, he loves to read a good book, learn new things, and play with his cat, Ru.

 

Works Cited

Cleveland Clinic. “Antidepressants: What They Are, Uses, Side Effects & Types.” Cleveland Clinic, 01 03 2023, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/9301-antidepressants-depression-medication. Accessed 28 August 2025.

MACMILLAN, CARRIE. “Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Depression, OCD: What to Know.” Yale Medicine, 28 January 2025, https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation-tms-what-you-need-to-know. Accessed 28 August 2025.

Mayo Clinic. “Transcranial magnetic stimulation.” Mayo Clinic, 7 April 2023, https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/about/pac-20384625. Accessed 28 August 2025.

Michigan Advanced Psychiatry. “FDA Approves TMS Therapy for Ages 15+: A Breakthrough in Depression Treatment.” Michigan Advanced Psychiatry, Michigan Advanced Psychiatry, 15 April 2025, https://www.advancedpsych.com/fda-approves-tms-therapy-for-ages-15-and-older/. Accessed 28 Agust 2025.

National institute of mental health. “Major Depression - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).” National Institute of Mental Health, July 2023, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression. Accessed 28 August 2025.

“Treatment-Resistant Depression: What It Is & Symptoms.” Cleveland Clinic, 16 05 2023, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24991-treatment-resistant-depression. Accessed 28 August 2025.

Wampold, Bruce E. Is psychotherapy effective? A re-analysis of treatments for depression, 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6998909/#sec3. Accessed 28 August 2025.

Yin, Hong. “Why is the dorsolatereral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) the favorite region to stimulate? – New Frontiers Psychiatry & TMS | Milwaukee Psychiatrist.” New Frontiers Psychiatric & TMS, 19 June 2025, https://www.newfrontierspsychiatry.com/why-is-the-dorsolatereral-prefrontal-cortex-dlpfc-the-favorite-region-to-stimulate/. Accessed 28 August 2025.

Brooks Fohrman is a sophomore at Poudre High School. This is his first year in the Poudre Press. He is currently involved in many clubs at Poudre, including but not limited to  Model UN,  Mock Trial, and Math Club. In his spare time, he loves to read a good book, learn new things, and play with his cat, Ru.


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