Depression worse for health than other disease
A new study published in the Lancet has found that depression is worse for health than asthma, arthritis, heart disease and diabetes.
World Health Organisation (WHO) researchers found that people suffering a chronic disease were more likely to develop a mental illness and it was the depression that made these patients feel worse.
Depressed patients were less able to manage their physical ailments, less likely to adhere to the treatment regime or to visit the doctor, and had more difficulty in returning to work or participating in a rehabilitation program because the depression took away the motivation, energy and concentration needed to participate in those programs.
The problem is compounded because doctors often fail to identify depression in patients suffering other diseases.
WHO researchers say wider treatment for depression would improve people’s overall health.
In Australia less than 30% of patients receive good treatment with anti-depressants and cognitive behaviour therapy, compared to 80% of arthritis patients and 90% of asthma patients who receive good standards of care.
