More than 16 million adults in the United States — 6.7 percent of all adults in the country — have experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, according to the World Health Organization. 

Banner Behavioral Health Hospital is now offering an innovative treatment called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to provide these individuals a noninvasive, same-day procedure for adults who are seeking a different approach in treating their mental condition. 

When medication and/or psychotherapy fail to provide meaningful reduction of symptoms, alternate therapies may be necessary. Banner Behavioral Health Hospital, 7575 E. Earll Dr. in Scottsdale, offers a wide range of treatments for clinical depression. The addition of its transcranial magnetic stimulation service provides the hospital an additional treatment option for patients struggling with this sometimes-debilitating condition. 

TMS activates nerve cells in the brain using magnetic fields. A behavioral technician will place an electromagnetic coil on the patient’s head, near the forehead, to deliver repetitive magnetic pulses to a specific region of the brain. Those pulses stimulate nerve cells that are associated with mood control and depression, ultimately improving symptoms of depression.

“It is exciting to have another option to offer to our patients with treatment resistant depression. TMS is safe and effective for usage as an outpatient is an option for those that have not responded to other treatments,” said Gagandeep Singh, MD, chief medical officer at Banner Behavioral Health Hospital. 

Unlike other targeted brain stimulation therapies and techniques, TMS does not require anesthesia, does not entail implantation of electrodes and does not induce intentional seizure or loss of consciousness. Additionally, TMS is a painless treatment option with little to no side effects. Since it does not require sedation or anesthesia, it is performed on an outpatient basis.

Additional information about this procedure and Banner Behavioral Health Hospital can be found online at www.bannerhealth.com

Banner Behavioral Health Hospital is part of nonprofit Banner Health. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, Banner Behavioral Health offers safe, confidential and compassionate treatments for adults, adolescent teens and children facing mental health and substance-abuse challenges. Its nonprofit services are located throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area for those who need help with psychiatric and addiction issues. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com/BannerBehavioral.