Undertreatment of people with major depressive disorder in 21 countries

Author(s):Show less -

Thornicroft, Graham ; Chatterji, Somnath ; Evans-Lacko, Sara ; Gruber, Michael ; Sampson, Nancy ; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio ; Al-Hamzawi, Ali ; Alonso, Jordi ; Andrade, Laura ; Borges, Guilherme ; Bruffaerts, Ronny ; Bunting, Brendan ; Caldas de Almeida, Jose Miguel ; Florescu, Silvia ; de Girolamo, Giovanni ; Gureje, Oye ; Haro, Josep Maria ; He, Yanling ; Hinkov, Hristo ; Karam, Elie ; Kawakami, Norito ; Lee, Sing ; Navarro-Mateu, Fernando ; Piazza, Marina ; Posada-Villa, Jose ; de Galvis, Yolanda Torres ; Kessler, Ronald C.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY; v. 210, n. 2, p. 119-124, FEB 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 124

Abstract

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Aims To examine the: (a) 12-month prevalence of DSM-IV MDD; (b) proportion aware that they have a problem needing treatment and who want care; (c) proportion of the latter receiving treatment; and (d) proportion of such treatment meeting minimal standards. Method Representative community household surveys from 21 countries as part of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. Results Of 51 547 respondents, 4.6% met 12-month criteria for DSM-IV MDD and of these 56.7% reported needing treatment. Among those who recognised their need for treatment, most (71.1%) made at least one visit to a service provider. Among those who received treatment, only 41.0% received treatment that met minimal standards. This resulted in only 16.5% of all individuals with 12-month MDD receiving minimally adequate treatment. Conclusions Only a minority of participants with MDD received minimally adequate treatment: 1 in 5 people in high-income and 1 in 27 in low-/lower-middle-income countries. Scaling up care for MDD requires fundamental transformations in community education and outreach, supply of treatment and quality of services. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 03/00204-3 - Epidemiological study of psychiatric disorders in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region: prevalence, risk factors, and social and economical burden
• Grantee: Laura Helena Silveira Guerra de Andrade
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants