Treatment FAQ

the guardian. how depression treatment differs throughout europe

by Camron Corwin Jr. Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Where in Europe are alternative treatments for depression most popular?

Critics of colonialism argued that calling what looked like depression an illness needing treatment was an act of western cultural hegemony: it medicalised experiences that were not considered ...

What percentage of the European population is affected by depression?

Vintage collection of photos taken in Mohács, Hungary during the post-World War II communist era (1950s-1960s) history

What percentage of people in Italy seek treatment for depression?

 · Thu 21 Nov 2013 02.00 EST. Some said they were a lifesaver; others dismissed them as unremarkable; still others said they just made things worse. When the Guardian asked readers of five European ...

Is depression treatment out of reach in poor countries?

With up to one in five new mothers suffering depression or psychosis, experts say the need for help is ‘overwhelming’ India Published: 1:00 AM Published: 1:00 AM

How many people with depression are receiving treatment?

The WHO estimates that fewer than half of people with depression are receiving treatment. Many more will be getting inadequate help, often focused on medication, with too little investment in talking therapies, which are regarded as a crucial ally.

Which country has the highest rate of depression?

While rates for depression and other common mental health conditions vary considerably, the US is the “most depressed” country in the world, followed closely by Colombia, Ukraine, the Netherlands and France. At the other end of the scale are Japan, Nigeria and China.

What is the most common medication for depression?

Among pharmacological treatments for depression, the most commonly prescribed antidepressants are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which reduce the absorption of serotonin, increasing overall levels. Another popular class of drugs is serotonin norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor (SNRIs), which work on both serotonin and noradrenaline.

Why is depression increasing?

Other reasons given for the continuing rise in depressive illness include an ageing population (60- to 74-year-olds are more likely to suffer than other age groups), and rising stress and isolation.

How many people are depressed?

At any one time it is estimated that more than 300 million people have depression – about 4% of the world’s population when the figures were published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015. Women are more likely to be depressed than men.

What is depression in the US?

MentalHealth.gov, a US government website, defines it as “losing interest in important parts of life”. Symptoms include eating or sleeping too much or too little; pulling away from people and usual activities; having low or no energy;

What are the causes of depression?

Other commonly agreed causes or triggers are past trauma or abuse; a genetic predisposition to depression, which may or may not be the same as a family history; life stresses, including financial problems or bereavement; chronic pain or illness; and taking drugs, including cannabis, ecstasy and heroin.

Who was the psychiatrist who argued that the African mind was a problem of the West?

F or most of the 20th century, the view that “mental health” was exclusively a problem of the wealthier west was widely held by doctors, mental health professionals and cultural theorists. JC Carothers , a psychiatrist and consultant to the WHO, represented one typical branch of this belief. In 1953, he published an influential paper on the “African mind”, in which he argued that the continent’s inhabitants lacked the psychological development and sense of personal responsibility necessary to experience depression.

What did the left think of mental health?

Curiously, many people with leftist views arrived at the same dismissal of the need for mental health care, although via different routes. Critics of colonialism argued that calling what looked like depression an illness needing treatment was an act of western cultural hegemony: it medicalised experiences that were not considered illnesses and were dealt with perfectly well by the local culture. Others believed that the more communal nature of society and the stronger family ties in poor countries inoculated people against depression, which was linked to the loneliness, stress and materialistic culture of western life. Still others acknowledged the existence of depression, but argued that treating it was a luxury: surely people with no food or shelter have more important things to worry about. The implication of all of these views was that people in poor countries didn’t need the sort of counselling often prescribed for sufferers of depression in the west.

Why did some people believe that the more communal nature of society and the stronger family ties in poor countries inocul

Others believed that the more communal nature of society and the stronger family ties in poor countries inoculated people against depression, which was linked to the loneliness, stress and materialistic culture of western life.

Who was the first person to study mental health?

W hen Vikram Patel first began to study mental health, he believed depression only existed in rich nations. But today, he is the single most influential figure in the growing global movement to treat mental illness in poor countries, especially the most common disorder, depression.

Is depression a human experience?

Far from exposing depression as a uniquely western phenomenon, Patel’s research in Zimbabwe led him to conclude that depression is a fundamental human experience. “The basic nature of emotional pain is no different than physical pain,” he said.

Does depression affect poor people?

Busting the myth that depression doesn't affect people in poor countries. For decades, many psychiatrists believed depression was a uniquely western phenomenon. But in the last few years, a new movement has turned this thinking on its head. By Tina Rosenberg.

Did poor countries spend money on mental health?

But the treatment typically given to sufferers of depression in wealthier countries was completely out of reach for hundreds of millions of people who needed it. Poor countries spent virtually no money on mental health.

Why did Elsie visit her doctor?

Elsie, from Belgium, visited her doctor in 2007 as she was unable to sleep. Her doctor prescribed trazodone, Lerivon, Remeron and Effexor over a period of time. "I was told I suffered from depression because I couldn't sleep and that I needed to be drugged to get better.

How long did Jon take fluoxetine?

Jon believes that the 20mg of fluoxetine that he took for four years helped him to benefit from therapy. "They helped me to a sense of reality. In other words, they prevented me from getting too negative when talking about really sensitive childhood abuse.

How long did Anabelle stop taking paroxetine?

Anabelle from France was also prescribed medication as "more of an 'as well as' than an alternative". After three months , she decided to stop the prescription – 20mg of paroxetine. "It was helping a lot with the depression, but not with the anxiety.

Did Lou have a positive reaction to antidepressants?

But Lou realises that she was incredibly lucky to have had such a positive reaction: "I know several people who have been prescribed antidepressants and have suffered very negative side-effects. I was also lucky that the first one I was prescribed worked so well for me, and that I didn't have to endure months of trial and error with other drugs."

Do antidepressants help with talking therapy?

And although statistically it is hard to draw conclusions from such a self-selecting group of Europeans, the overwhelming sense was that respondents felt that antidepressants had helped them – particularly when twinned with some kind of talking therapy. A smaller but not insignificant number of respondents reported no effect at all with others describing very negative experiences.

Is antidepressant on the rise?

But what is certain is that the use of antidepressants is on the rise with prescriptions in some countries having more than doubled in the last decade.

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How many people are affected by depression?

Depressive disorders, which may affect as many as 300 million people worldwide, account for about one third of mental illness DALYs. There are myriad online diagnostics for self-assessment, though if you feel what might be clinical depression, you should see a doctor.

Which countries have the highest per capita rates of mental illness?

Alcohol- and drug-use disorders account for almost one fifth of mental illness DALYs. Of major countries, Russia and the US have the highest per capita rates.

What has changed in the past 20 years?

But there have been two big changes in the past 20 years. The first is that recognition and destigmatisation has resulted in a huge surge of people seeking help. The second is that surveys repeatedly show that more young people are reporting mental distress.

How many subheadings are there in the DSM-5?

The “bible” of mental illness, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (its fifth iteration, DSM-5, was published in 2013), groups them under about 20 subheadings* (see below).

What are the different types of mental illness?

There are dozens of different kinds of mental illness, from common disorders that affect tens of millions of people such as depression and anxiety, to rarer afflictions like paraphilia (sexual compulsion) and trichotillomania (a compulsion to remove hair). The “bible” of mental illness, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ...

How many people suffer from mental illness?

According to data from the IHME’s Global Burden of Disease, about 13% of the global population – some 971 million people – suffer from some kind of mental disorder. Dementia is the fastest-growing mental illness.

What is the measure of mental illness?

One measure of mental illness that has become a gold standard over the past 30 years is the disability adjusted life year (DALY) – a sum of all the years of healthy, productive life lost to illness, be it through early death or through disability.

How many people in Europe suffer from depression?

Depression: main contributor to mental health problems in Europe. One in seven people suffer from a severe mood disorder during their lives. Each year, about 7% of the population suffer from a major depression. This figure rises to over 25% if anxiety and lighter forms of depression are included.

How much of the European population suffers from mental illness?

Mental disorders account for about 20% of the burden of disease in the European Region, rising to 26% in the countries in the European Union (EU). Depression alone is responsible for about 15% of all days lived with disability.

How many people are depressed when visiting a doctor?

Depression: common but overlooked. Depression is present in about 25% of people visiting family doctors, but health care staff often miss it. About 50% of people with depression do not receive any form of treatment, owing to a combination of treatment avoidance due to shame and denial, a lack of services and/or the inability ...

Is depression a non-communicable disease?

Depression: contributor to noncommunicable diseases. Depression can also lead to high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, stroke and probably, some research suggests, cancer. In turn, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes lead to an increase in depression. The combination of noncommunicable diseases and risk factors is associated ...

Is cognitive behavioural therapy effective?

Psychotherapies have been shown to be equally effective , and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is popular. Well-evaluated interventions are increasingly available on the Internet, enabling self-help. The challenge to mental health services is to make effective interventions, provided by competent staff, widely available.

Is depression treatable in Europe?

Depression in Europe. Depression is treatable, but about 50% of major depressions still go untreated. WHO encourages people who think they may be suffering from depression to seek advice, and reminds doctors to remain vigilant for symptoms. 10 October is World Mental Health Day.

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