Some 8.4 million of country's population afflicted by Depression

17 февраля, 2003
Some 8.4 million of country's population afflicted by Depression Karachi Feb 15 : Owing to its disabilities and cost burden for affected families, depression has been identified, in recent period of time, as a major serious health issue, tormenting some 8.4 million of country's population which constitutes 6 % of the total ratio and incurring heavy economic burden on the sufferers. Pakistan Press International via NewsEdge Corporation : Karachi Feb 15 (PPI): Owing to its disabilities and cost burden for affected families, depression has been identified, in recent period of time, as a major serious health issue, tormenting some 8.4 million of country's population which constitutes 6 % of the total ratio and incurring heavy economic burden on the sufferers. Talking to PPI, Dr. Amin Gadet, Head of Psychology Department, Hamdard University while discussing the enormous economic stress of the problem informed that on account of huge cost of its burden in financial terms, an overwhelming majority of victims of the disease which is almost 3 % of the total sufferer, are unable to seek remedy of their problems besides adding to the misery of illness and loss of associated productivity. "The annual earmarking in national budget for the health sector is critically low and owing to the fact that average income of majority of the victims of the disease is far from satisfactory, the partial support from charitable organizations, public sector hospitals, insurance cover and medical facilities by organizations, can hardly cater to the medical requirements of needy patients". He underscored the need to enhance health budgets and increase efforts towards preventive strategies besides pursuing further research on health economics with generation of appropriate database by the government. "Depressive disorders, when afflict any individual, are under diagnosed and under treated and it transpired during successive experiments that inadequate diagnosis and treatment of depression are primarily responsible for most of the costs of these disorders". "Some 50 % to 60 % of the patients with significant depression are found to be inaccurately diagnosed and recent data available clearly suggested that only one in three people victimized by the disease, seek specific treatment for their condition while overwhelming number avoid defining themselves as depressed when they consult a health care provider" he added. Dr. Gadet opined that their condition is partly due to the fact that they perceive themselves as hopeless, unwilling to accept a diagnosis of depressive disorders and above all, are apprehensive of the stigmatization and loss of their jobs. "It was ironically also observed that many physicians are reluctant to diagnose patients as depressed and it was found in majority of the cases they often focussed their diagnosis and treatment efforts on patients accompanying physical symptoms which includes fatigue, weight loss, headache, gastrointestinal disorders, pains and sleep disorders rather than on depression". "Besides it was also noted that of the 2/3rd of depressed patients who specifically did not refer themselves for depression, 80 % were seen for other physical complaints and of these patients only, one in eight was correctly diagnosed by their primary care provider as suffering from depressive illness while significant depression often remained undiagnosed for years" he pointed out. While underlining multifarious complications associated with depression, Dr. Gadet said that investigations have clearly manifested that depression enhances medical utilization for a variety of somatic complaints, the most common being weakness, lethargy, headaches, backaches, insomnia and gastrointestinal disorders. "These complaints often produce unnecessary hospitalization, physicians visits, diagnostic tests and prescriptions for analgesics, anxiolytics, sedatives and gastrointestinal medications. They use emergency services three to four times and call about health problems and for medication changes four to five times more often than non- depressed enrollees". He lamented about the fact that there is a pressure to refer patients with psychiatric disorders to the lowest level of provider who can address their needs and to treat them in the least restrictive, most cost sensitive environment. Multiple barriers which often make no clear sense have been created to limit access to psychiatrists and psychiatric inpatient care. Talking about total cost of the depression suffered by the victims, he said out of the total patients 50 % do not seek treatment at any stage and this brings the figure of 4.2 million peoples who seek treatment. According to the calculation total cost of depression comes to around Rs. 1,56,600 per annum including direct cost of outpatient consultation, medication, service fees, laboratory, hospitalization and indirect cost which includes pre mature death of supporter temporal sick leave, handicap low productivity. When the above amount is multiplied with 42 hundred thousand patients, the amount comes to Rs. 632.5 billion which is equal to US $ 10.54 Billion ( 1 US $- Rs. 60 Pak. Rupees). Keeping in view the high economic cost burden incurred by individuals and the society, he emphasized the exigency that it is the high time that the government should seriously review and revise its health policy with appropriate and justifiable allocation of budget to cater for the mental health need of the society. (THROUGH ASIA PULSE) 15-02 2003 <> << Copyright ©2003 Asia Pulse Pte Ltd. >>
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