Brazilians take, on average, 39 months – that is, 3 years and 3 months – to seek medical help for depression treatment. The data is part of a survey carried out by the Ipsos Institute, at the request of the pharmaceutical company Janssen, which heard 800 people with or without a relationship with depression in 11 Brazilian states.
Although suicidal thoughts bothered about 4 out of 10 respondents before seeking a diagnosis, the delay in seeking specialized help was mainly due to a lack of awareness of the disease (18%), resistance (13% ) and fear of judgment, the reaction of others or shame (13%).
The data were presented at a workshop held this morning (14), in São Paulo, where experts on the subject spoke about the “Urgency of mental health: another look at depression”.
According to the professor of psychiatry at the ABC School of Medicine Cintia de Azevedo Marques Périco, the delay in seeking treatment for depression can have serious consequences for the patient.
“The worsening of symptoms, the decrease in the effectiveness of the treatments, the loss of productive years, the economic impact and the severe decrease in productivity, as well as the damage to their family and social life are consequences of the disease. Depression needs to be taken seriously”, said Cíntia, who is also a member of the Psychiatric Emergency Committee of the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP).
Research data also show that there is a lack of understanding of people about the severity of the disease and its impact on the patient’s life and everyone around them. Only 10% believe that depression is a disease with a biological basis (and physical repercussions on the body). Another 35% think that the disease cannot be treated with medication and 36% believe that, to overcome the disease, willpower is needed.
Another recent study, published in The Lancet magazinepoints out that up to 80% of people affected by the disease in the world do not even know about their diagnosis.
psychiatric emergency
Currently, depression is considered a psychiatric emergency due to its relationship with cases of suicides and self-extermination attempts.
Studies show that about 97% of suicides are linked to mental disorders, especially depression.
In the state of São Paulo alone, the Fire Department counts, on average, seven suicide attempts per day.
“These numbers are even higher, as we are not taking into account the occurrences of Samu and Military Policy. In many cases, suicides could be avoided if people had a more humanized view, recognizing depression as a mental disorder that needs urgent and specialized care”, said Major Diógenes Munhoz, who has worked at the corporation for 22 years and worked directly in 57 cases. occurrences of suicide attempts.
The major is also the creator of the Humanized Technique for Approaching Suicide Attempts admitted and used in more than 17 states by the Fire Department.
treatment-resistant depression
All over the world, experts have studied the growth of cases of patients with treatment-resistant depression (DRT). This occurs when there is no satisfactory response to at least two previous treatments given at an adequate dose and time. In general, these patients also have suicidal ideation.
Treatment-resistant depression (ESRD) is a disorder that affects about 40% of Brazilian patients, according to data from the observational study TRAL (Treatment-Resistant Depression in Latin America), carried out in Latin America with almost 1,500 patients. Studies show that patients with depression can to have a direct cost of 30% to 250% higher than that of patients without the disorder, in cases of ESRD, this cost can be even higher, reaching a value 400% larger.
During the workshop, experts highlighted a new drug for resistant cases that was approved by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) at the end of 2019. For intranasal use, Spravato acts on a new neurotransmitter pathway and should be applied in a hospital environment, according to the professor of psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Humberto Corrêa, who led the conduction of one of the studies with the drug in Brazil.
“It could be a day hospital, an infusion clinic or a hospital itself. The patient does not have direct access to the medication, does not leave the office with a prescription to go to the pharmacy to buy it. It is the hospital institution that provides the medication and the health professional applies it to the patient who returns home after application”.
Brazil is the fifth country with the highest incidence of depression in the world, with a higher number of cases than diabetes, according to Vigitel Research 2021, from the Ministry of Health.
From 2011 to 2019, the National Supplementary Health Agency (ANS) calculated a 167% increase in the use of services related to mental health.
