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Goal: Affinity is
seeking projects that improve detection, treatment and
management of depression.
Overview: Depression is a common and debilitating
illness that affects all segments of the population.
Today depression is highly treatable—usually with
antidepressant medications and / or psychotherapy.
However, recent studies show that often depression goes
unrecognized or untreated, and many people still are not
getting the help they need. Left untreated, depression
causes great suffering, affects overall health and daily
life, and sometimes results in suicide. Depressive
disorder is an illness that disrupts a person’s mood,
behavior, physical health and / or thoughts. Adults who
are depressed are less physically and socially active
and are less satisfied with their lives.
Some people have one
depressive episode in a lifetime, but it is more common
to have recurrent episodes. Nearly 35 million
American adults suffer from a depressive disorder in |
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their lifetime. Major depression strikes men
and women, but for reasons not yet understood, it is
shown to occur twice as often in women, affecting as
many as one in four. However, men are less likely than
women to seek treatment for depression, and the rate of
suicide in men is four times that of women. Depression
may occur at any age, including in childhood. There is
evidence that depression occurring early in life often
persists or may recur in adulthood. Depression is also a
major concern for aging adults since suicide is more
common among the elderly than in any other age group.
In the majority of cases, depression can be managed and
treated successfully. However, successful outcomes rely
on proper recognition, diagnosis and treatment. People
with depression are more likely to receive treatment
from a primary care physician than a mental health
professional, and primary care physicians prescribe
antidepressant medications as often as psychiatrists do.
Major depression has a prevalence of six percent to
eight percent in the primary care setting, making it as
common a presentation as hypertension. Yet, diagnosis in
the primary care setting remains a challenge.
Additionally, once diagnosed, adherence to medication
and treatment programs becomes critical.
Among racial / ethnic groups in this country, native
Americans have the highest rate of depression (nearly
one in five), followed by whites (one in six or seven),
Hispanic-Americans, African-Americans and Asian/Pacific
Islanders (less than one in ten). Responding to a New
York City-wide survey on mental health,
Hispanic-Americans reported the greatest incidence of
stress / depression / emotional problems compared to
other racial / ethnic groups. The Asian population in
New York City was least likely to report poor mental
health. Among city residents, those in the South Bronx,
East New York and Coney Island (Brooklyn) reported the
highest number of poor mental health days per month.
Disparities are evident in the treatment of depression.
Studies repeatedly show that ethnic minority groups are
less likely to get mental health care than whites. And
recent data suggests that when minorities in this
country do get mental health care, they are less likely
to receive evidence-based treatments than whites.
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