Newswise — MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University experts support a new recommendation issued Tuesday (Jan. 26) that primary care physicians should screen all adults for depression.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force findings also include a call for screening older adults and pregnant women and new mothers.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, update the panel's 2009 recommendation that supported depression screening for adults if their doctors' offices were capable of providing quality care, or among selected patients even if that care were not available.

West Virginia University faculty members and WVU Medicine physicians with expertise on various aspects of depression include:

Leo Brancazio, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., is the named professor and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the WVU School of Medicine. He has extensive clinical experience in medical complications of pregnancy and pharmacology during pregnancy. Brancazio is an active researcher and a published author in the field.

(Requests for Dr. Brancazio should be directed to Angela Jones-Knopf at [email protected] or Tara Scatterday at [email protected].)

Hawley Montgomery-Downs is an associate professor of psychology in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at WVU. She also serves as the coordinator for the PhD program in behavioral neuroscience, is a member of the Center for Neuroscience, and is an adjunct associate professor of pediatrics. Her current research focus is on the effects of infant feeding methods on development of pediatric sleep-disordered breathing, the impact of postpartum sleep deprivation and fragmentation on maternal functioning, and the long-term maternal recovery from early postpartum sleep disturbance. Montgomery-Downs can be reached at 304.293.1761 or [email protected].

Amy Fiske is an associate professor of psychology in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at WVU. Her primary research interests involve the causes of depression and suicidal behavior in late life and the implications for prevention. She also has interests in the assessment of sleeping problems and treatments for insomnia and other sleep disorders. Fiske can be reached at 304.293.1708 or [email protected].

West Virginia University experts can provide commentary, insights and opinions on various news topics. Search for an expert by name, title, area of expertise or college/school/department in the Experts Database at WVU Today.

-WVU-

ak/01/26/16

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