Asia PR News

ATLANTA, Ga., May 27 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ –

- Depressed individuals struggle in silence, waiting for nearly one year
before seeking professional help

Findings from an international survey released today in Atlanta showed that
people with major depressive disorder, on average, waited more than 11 months
to see a doctor and were only diagnosed with depression after five visits to
the doctor, further delaying treatment. The survey also revealed that nearly 72
percent of people with major depression did not believe, prior to their
diagnosis, that painful physical symptoms such as unexplained headache,
backache, gastrointestinal disturbance and vague aches and pains, were common
symptoms of depression. However, 79 percent acknowledged these symptoms to be
bothersome or very bothersome, prompting them to see a doctor.

"Undiagnosed depression can be very serious because medical research shows
the longer a depressed person goes untreated, the more chronic their condition
can become and the lower their chances for a full recovery," says Pedro
Delgado, MD, Chairman, Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine,
University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio. "It’s important
that they realize painful physical symptoms can be symptoms of depression and
are a signal to seek help."

The World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH), in partnership with Eli
Lilly and Company and Boehringer Ingelheim, commissioned the Depression: The
Painful Truth survey, to measure awareness of the proposed link between
depression and painful physical symptoms among people with depression and
physicians, to identify potential diagnosis and treatment gaps. Previous
medical research shows that 69 percent of patients with major depression
reported physical symptoms as their chief complaint.(1) Three-hundred-forty
million people worldwide suffer from depression,(2) yet an estimated three-
quarters of people with a depressive disorder never receive any treatment,
according to the World Health Organization.(3) Despite the high prevalence of
painful physical symptoms, the WFMH is concerned that the public may not be
fully aware of the connection between depression and pain, and that this may
be contributing to the low worldwide treatment rates.

"Unfortunately, many people suffering from depression don’t know that the
aches and pains they have been experiencing may be part of major depression,
or they may not want to talk about the possibility of a mental illness, even
with a doctor," said Patt Franciosi, PhD, WFMH president. "Either way, most
don’t get the treatment they could so greatly benefit from. We need to educate
people to understand all the possible signs of depression so they are more apt
to openly discuss how they’re feeling with their doctor."

Independent market research company Harris Interactive(R) conducted the
survey among 377 individuals with diagnosed depression, 375 general
practitioners and 381 psychiatrists in five countries: Brazil, Canada, Mexico,
Germany and France.

Survey Results - Diagnosis
Survey results demonstrated a significant gap between high prevalence and
low awareness of painful physical symptoms among people with depression.
Although 64 percent reported unexplained painful physical symptoms among the
symptoms that prompted them to see a physician, 72 percent didn’t know that
these painful physical symptoms were a potential symptom of their depression
until after they were diagnosed.

Despite the high prevalence of painful physical symptoms among patients,
only 38 percent of physicians thought that physical aches and pains were
symptoms of depression always or most of the time, implying that even among
some physicians, the association between painful physical symptoms and
depression may not be top of mind.

Survey Results - Treatment
Both physicians and those individuals taking medication expressed
dissatisfaction with current treatments. Forty percent of depressed
individuals were either not very satisfied or not satisfied with their
antidepressant treatment for both their emotional and physical symptoms. In
fact, 74 percent would consider switching treatments if both the emotional and
painful physical symptoms of depression could be resolved with another
medication. And, approximately one third of physicians were not very satisfied
or only somewhat satisfied with currently available antidepressants.

Seventy-seven percent of physicians agreed that failure to treat physical
aches and pains increases the risk of relapse. Eighty-five percent of
physicians strongly agreed or agreed that a depressed individual is more
likely to achieve remission if both the emotional and physical symptoms of
depression are treated.

Based on the survey findings, the World Federation for Mental Health is
developing an educational program for people with depression and for
physicians. The intent of the program-to be launched later this year-is to
increase awareness of both emotional and painful physical symptoms of
depression among people with depression and physicians, in the hope of
improving worldwide diagnosis, treatment and recovery rates.

About the WFMH
The WFMH is an international interdisciplinary membership organization
whose mission is to promote, among all people and nations, the highest
possible level of mental health in its broadest biological, medical,
educational, and social aspect. Consultative status at the United Nations
provides WFMH a variety of opportunities to engage in mental health advocacy
at the global level, working closely with the World Health Organization,
UNESCO, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Commission on Human
Rights, the International Labor Organization and others.

References

(1) Simon GE, et al. N Engl J Med. 1999;341:1329-1335.
(2) Greden JF. The burden of disease for treatment-resistant depression. J
Clin Psychiatry. 2001;62:26-31.

(3) http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/depression/definition/en/

Notes to Editors
Harris Interactive(R) conducted the telephone survey on behalf of WFMH
between February 21 and April 11, 2005 in Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Germany and
France. A total of 377 adults aged 18 and over who were diagnosed with
depression five or less years ago and who currently take prescription
medication for depression, and 756 physicians who are actively practicing as
either a general practitioner or psychiatrist, who treat a minimum number of
depression patients a year, with two to 30 years experience in the field.
These data are unweighted and given the very small sample sizes data should be
used only directionally.

With samples of this size, there is 95 percent certainty that the overall
results for the patient sample have a sampling error of plus or minus 5.0
percentage points and sampling error for the physician results is plus or
minus 3.6 percentage points.

SOURCE: World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH)

CONTACT: Anna Marrian, +1-212-445-8111
Anke Wolff, +49-30-2035125

both of Weber Shandwick Worldwide
for World Federation for Mental Health

(WFMH)