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Very much ignorance about depression
The majority of Germans are affected by depression during their lifetime - either directly due to their own disease (23 percent) or indirectly as a relative (37 percent). However, there are big mistakes in the population about the causes and treatment options of depression. Depression is seen primarily as a psychological reaction to adverse life circumstances and less as a disease in the medical sense that can affect anyone and in the affected need medical attention. This shows the first "Germany Barometer Depression" by German Depressionshilfe Foundation and Deutsche Bahn Foundation. The representative survey examines attitudes and knowledge about depression in the population. 2,000 people between the ages of 18 and 69 were surveyed from a representative panel for the German population in private households. This survey of the general population was supplemented by an online survey among depression sufferers.
Physical causes of depression still too little known
The Germany Barometer Depression shows that the importance of stressful life events for the development of depressive illnesses is overestimated in the German population and at the same time the importance of predisposition is underestimated. Almost all Germans see the causes of depression in fatalities (96 percent) and stress in the workplace (94 percent). By contrast, less is known that depression also has biological causes. Only 63 percent know the great relevance of the hereditary component of depression. Only two-thirds know that brain metabolism is disturbed during depression.
Depression can even lead to death. (Image: Focus Pocus LTD / fotolia.com) "During depression, sufferers perceive everything as through dark glasses. Existing problems such as partnership conflicts or work stress appear enlarged. Therefore, many of these assess external factors and assume that the depression was triggered by them, "explains Prof. Dr. med. Ulrich Hegerl, Chairman of the Foundation German Depression Aid. The gaps in knowledge about depression in the population are particularly clear with the following statements: More than half of the respondents believe that the depression is triggered by a "wrong" way of life; just under a third considers character weakness as a cause of depression. "It becomes clear that there is still a great need for information. That is why we support the activities of the German Depression Aid Foundation. Christian Gravert, Project Manager Mental Health at Deutsche Bahn Foundation and Chief Operating Officer of Deutsche Bahn.
Chocolate and holidays should help - misconceptions prevent adequate treatment
Even with the treatment options of depression, the Germans do not know enough. For example, around one in five respondents believe that eating chocolate (18 percent) or "pulling together" (19 percent) is a suitable remedy for the serious, often life-threatening illness. "Depression is treated with antidepressants and / or psychotherapy according to national care guidelines," says Prof. Ulrich Hegerl.
Psychotherapeutic treatment enjoys a better reputation (96% consider it a suitable treatment option) than drug treatment (75%). This difference is mainly due to the fact that 4 out of 5 Germans believe that antidepressants are addictive (78 percent) or change their character (72 percent). "Antidepressants do not 'high', they counteract primarily disturbed functional processes in the brain. The personality is not changed. By contrast, depression itself leads to severe changes in experience and behavior. When treatment with antidepressants reduces the onset of depression, the vast majority of patients report feeling as if they were in a healthy state, "explains Hegerl.
Online offers for self-help: Supply shortages require new treatment options
Every year in Germany, approximately 5.3 million people contract a unipolar depression requiring treatment. Every day, an average of 28 people take their own lives. In one year, more people will be killed by suicide than by traffic accidents, drugs, murder and HIV. The suicides usually occur against the background of insufficiently treated depression or other mental illnesses. Of the large number of patients with depression, only a minority receive optimal treatment, as shown by recent studies (eg, Trautmann et al. (2017), Deutsches Ärzteblatt International Int 114 (43): pp. 721-728). Patients often have to bridge long waiting times before they get an appointment with a specialist or psychotherapist and receive appropriate treatment. Due to this tight supply situation, strengthening self-help is an important addition to the provision of care. Digital offers have become increasingly important in Germany and abroad in recent years.
There are still concerns in the population about online help for depression - this is also shown by the Germany Barometer Depression. Above all, the participants in the representative survey regarded data protection as critical (70 percent) and rated the programs as being too impersonal (79 percent). Those affected see it as a helpful supplement (60 percent), but rightly hardly as an alternative to psychotherapeutic (14 percent) or pharmacological (18 percent) treatment.
One of these Internet-based self-management programs is iFightDepression. It helps sufferers with easier forms of depression to better understand their condition and shows exercises for everyday life to change thoughts or behaviors. For example, they learn to regulate sleep, break through negative minds or plan positive activities. iFightDepression is made available free of charge to all interested, specially trained doctors and therapists for their patients via the German Depressions Aid Foundation. Information at: ifightdepression.com/en/ (pm)