| A major survey on depression symptoms
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| | treat have difficulty staying with their
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| from the National Mental Health
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| | medication regimens (a number consistent
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| Association (NMHA), released in July
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| | with most studies), and half (52 percent)
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| 2004, revealed a dramatic degree of
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| | say those they treat have difficulty
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| progress in public understanding. Yet
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| | staying with their psychotherapy
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| even amid this promising trend, the
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| | regimens.The survey suggests many reasons
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| survey sheds light on the difficultiesThe
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| | why some people don't stick with
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| NMHA survey shows a major shift in public
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| | treatment. In addition to struggling with
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| opinion in the last decade about the
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| | the nature and demands of the depression
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| cause of depression. A majority (65
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| | symptoms, they may find the requirements
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| percent) of those polled who have never
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| | of long-term vigilance overwhelming. A
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| been diagnosed with depression symptoms
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| | majority of doctors (70 percent) say
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| understand depression is a disease, and
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| | those they treat for depression symptoms
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| not "a state of mind that a person can
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| | might find adherence easier if they could
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| snap out of." In 1991, only 38 percent
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| | take medication less often. But
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| recognized depression as an illness.The
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| | medication is not the only issue. Though
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| survey also sketches a troubling portrait
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| | people with depression symptoms believe
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| of the socio-economic lives of some
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| | diet and exercise to be beneficial to
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| people with depression symptoms. Survey
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| | long-term wellness, they nevertheless
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| respondents with depression symptoms
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| | report not adhering with these regimens
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| reported higher levels of unemployment
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| | either."The survey clearly shows that the
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| and divorce than respondents who don't
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| | fewer episodes of depression people
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| have the disorder."We set out to get a
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| | reported, the more likely they were to
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| snapshot of the state of depression and
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| | have stayed with treatment, whatever that
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| its treatment," said Michael M. Faenza,
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| | treatment may be," said Faenza. "Facing
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| president and CEO of the NMHA. "The good
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| | up to this illness and taking personal
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| news is that there is greater public
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| | responsibility for its treatment are
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| understanding of depression and that
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| | vital. Yet some may not acknowledge and
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| people living with depression are finding
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| | seek treatment for depression because of
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| substantial relief by following their
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| | negative public attitudes and
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| treatment plans. The challenging part is
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| | misperceptions."In fact, even as people
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| understanding the degree to which public
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| | with depression symptoms struggle with
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| perceptions impact those in treatment,"
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| | the illness itself, they also seem to be
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| said Faenza.In this year's survey, nearly
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| | searching to determine their best course
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| one in three Americans say they believe
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| | of treatment, how long they should stay
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| depression symptoms is a state of mind.
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| | in treatment, what they might expect from
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| "Fifty-five percent understand the truth
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| | treatment and whether they will
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| about depression. That is good, but it is
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| | ultimately recover. As a result, more
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| not enough," said Faenza. "You'd never
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| | people are employing a combination of
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| hear 31 percent of the population deny
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| | techniques to get and stay
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| that diabetes and heart disease are real.
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| | well.Perceptions DivergePublic
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| Erroneous beliefs about depression fuel
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| | perceptions about depression symptoms
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| stigma, bad public policies and poor
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| | often diverge significantly from the
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| personal choices by those living with the
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| | perceptions of people in treatment and
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| illness and may impede their
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| | may discourage them from seeking
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| recovery."The survey also describes a
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| | effective therapeutic approaches. For
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| strong correlation between clinical
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| | example, the survey results showed that
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| depression symptoms and diminished social
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| | the general public ranks regular
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| and economic circumstances for families.
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| | exercise, a healthy diet and
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| Survey respondents with depression report
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| | psychotherapy higher than medication for
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| greater rates of divorce and unemployment
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| | effectiveness in warding off future
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| than the general public. What's more,
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| | episodes of depression symptoms. In
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| respondents who have experienced multiple
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| | contrast, doctors and people in long-term
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| depressive episodes are even more likely
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| | treatment rate staying on medication as
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| to be divorced or unemployed. They also
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| | the most effective way to prevent a
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| are more likely to have lower income and
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| | relapse, even as they seek the right mix
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| educational levels.The NMHA survey,
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| | of psychotherapy and lifestyle
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| conducted by Public Opinion Strategies
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| | choices.Perceptions also diverge when it
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| LLC, comprised interviews with 500 adults
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| | comes to understanding what treatment can
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| currently being treated for depression,
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| | deliver. Thirty-five percent of the
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| 300 primary care physicians,
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| | general public believe that a person can
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| psychiatrists and psychologists and 800
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| | be cured completely of depression
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| members of the general public.Gap Between
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| | symptoms, a belief held by only 12
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| Knowledge and BehaviorSurvey respondents
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| | percent of people in long-term treatment
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| who are living with depression symptoms
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| | for the illness. It is likely that many
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| overwhelmingly feel that treatment,
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| | in this group are struggling to achieve
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| including medication, psychotherapy or
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| | realistic expectations for treatment
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| both, works. (Their average self-rated
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| | because the majority of subjects in the
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| symptom severity dropped from 8.5 before
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| | survey sample are in long-term treatment
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| treatment to 3.6 within six to 12 months
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| | for multiple episodes of depression
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| after starting treatment, using a
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| | symptoms.About half of those who
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| severity scale of one to 10, with 10
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| | experience depression symptoms will never
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| being the most severe.)Yet people are
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| | have another episode; half will. The
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| finding that staying with treatment is
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| | findings suggest that people treated for
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| hard work. While they seem to understand
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| | clinical depression symptoms understand
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| the value of long-term treatment (in
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| | the frequently episodic nature of this
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| fact, most respondents believe that
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| | common illness. More than three-quarters
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| adhering to treatment is not difficult)
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| | (76 percent) believe that they will need
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| nearly one-third (29 percent) of people
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| | some type of treatment for the rest of
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| on antidepressants report skipping doses
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| | their lives, and most understand that
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| during the week and nearly one-fourth (24
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| | their treatment will control, but not
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| percent) have difficulty attending
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| | necessarily cure, their depression
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| regular psychotherapy sessions. However,
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| | symptoms.However, even as more people
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| physicians and psychiatrists surveyed
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| | come to terms with the long-term demands
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| believe adherence is much lower than
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| | of depression symptoms, too many still
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| people in treatment profess. Almost 40
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| | find it difficult to make a treatment
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| percent of doctors believe those they
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| | plan work for them.
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