Representatives of patient organizations involved in the development of depression assessment cards presented a Patient Memorandum to policy makers, calling for the development of patient participation in decision-making and the improvement of the quality of depression care, which is lacking in many places.
“Pacific Pandemic”
Today, depression is the most common mental illness that affects many. The World Health Organization estimates that depression affects more than 40 million people in the European Union, 4.3% of Europeans. Given the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% in the first year of the pandemic alone.
It is very likely that this figure is now even higher. In the context of a pandemic, the topic of depression has become more relevant than ever – doctors and academics around the world call it a “silent pandemic.”
More than 2.4 million people in Central, Eastern Europe and the Baltics suffer from depression. Although high, very little is reported about depression, as mental health problems are still associated with negative stigma and, according to local data, most cases of depression are still untreated.
“3.8% of the world’s population suffers from depression, including 5% of adults and more people over the age of 60. We have been working hard recently to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, but now we need to focus on tackling this growing problem that affects society as a whole. It’s time to act, “said Joseph Shuvada, a member of the board of the World Health Organization.
The results of the Depression Assessment Card show that investment in depression care is needed
Ten teams of experts and researchers from Central, Eastern Europe and the Baltics analyzed the state of depression care in their countries, presenting to Globsec Forum 2022 the main findings of the research summarized in the Depression Assessment Card reports.
These 10 national reports on depression are part of a broader series of individual depression indicators that assess the main national health policies and services provided to people suffering from depression in Belgium, France, Italy and Romania.
“Despite the obvious need to improve mental health care, most Central, Eastern European and Baltic countries are lagging behind the EU average. There is also a need to increase professional skills as well as access to care for people most at risk of depression, ”said Anna Michalova, regional coordinator of the Seesame Depression Assessment Card project, summarizing the main findings of the study.
Integrated care is a patient-centered system that provides support for people with depression throughout their lives and ensures continuity of treatment and care throughout the healthcare system. It has a key role to play in providing appropriate support and treatment. Integrating mental health services into wider health and social care services can improve the comprehensiveness of care as well as reduce the overall burden on society.
“We call on policy makers to improve integrated care systems, data collection and use, and the involvement of patients and technology in care,” said Bogdan Dobnik, head of the OZARA patients’ organization in Slovenia.
“Depressed patients and their families deserve the same strategic plan as cancer patients,” said Andrei Vrsanski, director of the Mental Health League, Slovakia’s largest organization of mental health providers and users.
Results of the “Depression Assessment Cards” in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are available here!
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