Dateline: June 7, 2001
The majority of adult Americans with depression and/or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have never received professional diagnosis or treatment, according to a new survey from the National Mental Health Association (NMHA). Many of those who do receive treatment feel ashamed about their conditions and do not have positive expectations about treatment results.
The survey, conducted via telephone interviews with over 3000 adults, found that only 18 percent of those adults sought professional help. Over 19 million American adults have depression and another 4 million have GAD, according to the NMHA, which means that millions of Americans are suffering needlessly with these treatable conditions.
"It's clear that we need to remove the stigma associated with the diagnosis of a mental illness," stated Michael Faenza, MSSW, president and CEO of the NMHA, in a press release. "We must help people recognize when it's time to seek professional help, and then, let them know that with care, their illness can -- and should -- remit."
Why are so many people avoiding diagnosis and treatment? The NMHA found three main reasons:
- People do not realize that their symptoms are signs of a psychiatric disorder. Of those not receiving diagnosis and treatment, 93 percent did not realize that the symptoms were associated with a disorder. However, 44 percent admitted that these symptoms were causing "significant emotional pain and restricted functioning in their daily lives."
- Almost half of the undiagnosed survey participants used self-help techniques to manage their symptoms. Instead of professional treatment, 44 percent used techniques which included:
- prayer (41 percent)
- rest (38 percent)
- exercise (37 percent)
- sleep (31 percent)
- emotional support from friends and loved ones (31 percent)
- Many participants feared the stigma of being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Of those who did receive professional diagnosis, 42 percent were "ashamed" or "embarrassed" by their symptoms. Only 17 percent of the undiagnosed participants felt the same. Of those who received a professional diagnosis, only two out of five accepted that their symptoms resulted from a psychiatric disorder.
Even when they do seek treatment, many people do not have positive expectations about results. Only about half (55 percent) of diagnosed survey participants expected symptom relief. Almost 60 percent of those who had been diagnosed did not know about terms such as "treatment response" and "optimal treatment goal" or "remission." Of those who did understand remission, about half (55 percent) said that they were not happy with the status of their condition in terms of remission.
The NMHA presented its "America's Mental Health Survey 2001" at its Annual Meeting this week in Washington, DC. Roper Starch Worldwide Inc. conducted the survey which was sponsored by the NMHA and Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories. Of 3,239 adults who were interviewed, 1,319 received in-depth interviews. Of the in-depth participants, 999 met diagnostic criteria for depression, GAD or both, and 320 did not meet the criteria.
Reference: The National Mental Health Association
