Help-Seeking for Emotional Problems in Major Depression

To study help-seeking among the general population and people with major depression. 12-month help-seeking for emotional problems was assessed in a cross-sectional 2006 Estonian Health Survey. Non-institutionalized individuals aged 18-84 years (n = 6,105) were interviewed. A major depressive episode...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Community mental health journal 2013-08, Vol.49 (4), p.427-432
Main Authors: Kleinberg, Anne, Aluoja, Anu, Vasar, Veiko
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Depression
Depression (Psychology)
Emotional disturbance
Emotionally Disturbed
Estonia
Health Care Services
Health Problems
Health services
Help Seeking Behavior
Helpseeking
Prevalence
Severity
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Summary:To study help-seeking among the general population and people with major depression. 12-month help-seeking for emotional problems was assessed in a cross-sectional 2006 Estonian Health Survey. Non-institutionalized individuals aged 18-84 years (n = 6,105) were interviewed. A major depressive episode was assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The factors associated with help-seeking, received help, and health service use were analyzed. The prevalence of 12-month help-seeking for emotional symptoms was 4.8%. The rate of 12-month help-seeking in the depressed sample was 34.1%. Depressed people used non-mental health services 1.5-3 times more than non-depressed persons even when adjusted for the chronic somatic disorder. Only one third of depressed persons sought help, which was most of all associated with severity of depression. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of depression leads to an increased use of expensive but non-specific health services by depressed persons. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0010-3853
DOI:10.1007/s10597-012-9499-9