New outcomes data from Discovery Texas Interventional Psychiatry (DTIP), our sister provider under Discovery MSO, shows just how much progress is possible with TMS therapy for depression. Among clients with a complete PHQ-9 record at intake and discharge, the average depression score fell 73 percent, and 95 percent of clients left treatment in the minimal or mild symptom range. If you or someone you love is dealing with depression alongside substance use, this is worth understanding, because DPR clients can access TMS through DTIP as part of coordinated, cross-provider care.
What the Numbers Show
Among the 22 DTIP clients with a documented PHQ-9 depression score at both intake and discharge during the reporting period, the average score dropped from 17.4 to 4.7, a 73 percent reduction. Eighty-six percent of clients achieved a clinical response (at least a 50 percent drop from baseline), and 45 percent reached remission (a discharge score below 5).
Nearly everyone in this group started treatment in the moderate-to-severe range. Six clients began at the severe level and 12 at moderately severe. By discharge, 21 of the 22 had moved into the minimal or mild bands, the two lowest severity levels the PHQ-9 measures. No client with a complete record ended treatment scoring higher than when they started.
“These numbers reflect what we see clinically every week: people who felt stuck after trying medication are able to make real, measurable progress with TMS. When 95 percent of our clients leave treatment in the minimal or mild range, that’s not an abstraction, that’s people getting their lives back.”
Michael Banis, Chief Growth Officer, Discovery MSO
What Is TMS Therapy?
Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, is an FDA-cleared, non-drug treatment for major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression. It uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain associated with mood regulation. There’s no medication and no sedation involved. Most people stay awake through each session and go back to their normal day right after. Individual results vary, and a care team coordinates with each patient’s existing providers throughout treatment.
Why This Matters in Addiction Recovery
Depression and substance use disorders show up together often enough that treating one without looking at the other rarely works long-term. That’s part of why DPR treats co-occurring mental health conditions as a standard part of a full continuum of addiction care, not an afterthought.
DTIP and DPR coordinate care as sister providers under Discovery MSO, so a client working through depression and a substance use disorder at the same time isn’t stuck choosing one problem to treat first.
TMS at Discovery Point Retreat
DPR clients can access TMS therapy through sister clinic DTIP as part of coordinated care, for depression that’s part of the picture alongside substance use. Outcomes for clients referred through DPR may differ from DTIP’s broader reported cohort above, since co-occurring substance use adds complexity, but the underlying approach, an FDA-cleared, non-drug option for depression that hasn’t responded to other treatment, is the same.
If depression has been part of what’s kept you stuck, or you’re supporting someone who’s dealing with both, it’s worth asking whether TMS could be part of the plan.
We’re here to make treatment as accessible and affordable as possible — and are in network with many insurance providers. Not sure about your coverage? We can help.
References
- Discovery Texas Interventional Psychiatry. TMS Program Outcomes Data (internal clinical reporting, PHQ-9 intake/discharge records, on file).
- Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001;16(9):606-613.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA permits marketing of transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment of major depressive disorder.
- National Institute of Mental Health. Brain Stimulation Therapies.
Resources
If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. This article is educational information, not medical advice.
