scholarly journals Antidepressant use in 27 European countries: Associations with sociodemographic, cultural and economic factors

2015 ◽  
Vol 207 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Lewer ◽  
Claire O'Reilly ◽  
Ramin Mojtabai ◽  
Sara Evans-Lacko

BackgroundPrescribing of antidepressants varies widely between European countries despite no evidence of difference in the prevalence of affective disorders.AimsTo investigate associations between the use of antidepressants, country-level spending on healthcare and country-level attitudes towards mental health problems.MethodWe used Eurobarometer 2010, a large general population survey from 27 European countries, to measure antidepressant use and regularity of use. We then analysed the associations with country-level spending on healthcare and country-level attitudes towards mental health problems.ResultsHigher country spending on healthcare was strongly associated with regular use of antidepressants. Beliefs that mentally ill people are ‘dangerous' were associated with higher use, and beliefs that they ‘never recover’ or ‘have themselves to blame’ were associated with lower and less regular use of antidepressants.ConclusionsContextual factors, such as healthcare spending and public attitudes towards mental illness, may partly explain variations in antidepressant use and regular use of these medications.

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Rajni Suri ◽  
Anshu Suri ◽  
Neelam Kumari ◽  
Amool R. Singh ◽  
Manisha Kiran

The role of women is very crucial in our society. She cares for her parents, partner, children and other relatives. She performs all types of duties in family and also in the society without any expectations. Because of playing many roles, women often face many challenges in their life including both physical and mental. Mental health problems affect women and men equally, but some problems are more common among women including both physical and mental health problems. Aim of the study - The present study is aimed to describe and compare the clinical and socio-demographic correlates of female mentally ill patients. Methods and Materials: The study includes 180 female mentally ill patients based on cross sectional design and the sample for the study was drawn purposively. A semi structured socio-demographic data sheet was prepared to collect relevant information as per the need of the study. Result: The present study reveals that the socio-demographic factors contribute a vital role in mental illness. Findings also showed that majority of patients had mental problems in the age range of 20-30 have high rate. Illiterate and primary level of education and daily wage working women as well as low and middle socio-economic status women are more prone to have mental illness. Other factors like marital status, type of family and religion etc also important factors for mental illness. Keywords: Socio demographic profile, female, psychiatric patient


2019 ◽  
Vol 215 (04) ◽  
pp. 588-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel L. A. Dückers ◽  
Lennart Reifels ◽  
Derek P. De Beurs ◽  
Chris R. Brewin

BackgroundPrevious research has identified a vulnerability paradox in global mental health: contrary to positive associations at the individual level, lower vulnerability at the country level is accompanied by a higher prevalence in a variety of mental health problems in national populations. However, the validity of the paradox has been challenged, specifically for bias from modest sample sizes and reliance on a survey methodology not designed for cross-national comparisons.AimsTo verify whether the paradox applies to suicide, using data from a sizable country sample and an entirely different data source.MethodWe combined data from the World Health Organization 2014 suicide report and the country vulnerability index from the 2016 World Risk Report. Suicide was predicted in different steps based on gender, vulnerability and their interaction, World Bank income categories, and suicide data quality.ResultsA negative association between country vulnerability and suicide prevalence in both women and men was found. Suicide rates were higher for men, regardless of country vulnerability. The model predicting suicide in 96 countries based on gender, vulnerability, income and data quality had the best goodness-of-fit compared with other models. The vulnerability paradox is not accounted for by income or data quality, and exists across and within income categories.ConclusionsThe study underscores the relevance of country-level factors in the study of mental health problems. The lower mental disorder prevalence in more vulnerable countries implies that living in such countries fosters protective factors that more than compensate for the limitations in professional healthcare capacity.Declaration of interestNone.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Abstract The world's population is aging rapidly. Globally, the population of older people will nearly double in the next 30 years, from 12% to 22%. Unfortunately, many elderly people are often vulnerable to the development of mental health problems. Besides the development of mental disorders (such as depression) or neurological disorders (such as cognitive impairment), they often experience several health ailments and loss of functionality, which negatively impacts their mental health and wellbeing. The WHO points out that mental health problems among this group of people are under-identified by healthcare professionals and by older people and their relatives themselves, and that stigma surrounding these conditions makes people often reluctant to seek help. Therefore, more scientific research and debate is needed on mental health of older persons, especially from a public health perspective. By bringing together researchers on this domain from different countries and background, this workshop aims to contribute to the scientific insight in this topic and finally to the improvement of the mental health and wellbeing of this growing group of people. In this workshop, research findings on the prevalence of (undetected) mental health problems and the impact of organizational, social and physical conditions on these problems, among older persons, both institutionalized and not, will be presented and discussed by five researchers from different European countries. Dr. Sunwoo Lee (Czech Republic) will talk about the demographic, psychosocial, and health-related risk factors for suicidal ideation among older adults in 12 European countries. Dr. Patricia De Vriendt (Belgium) will give a presentation on the unnoticed mild cognitive problems in nursing homes in Flanders. Dr. Henriette van der Roest (the Netherlands) will show the relationship between organizational adaptions in Dutch nursing homes and cognitive improvement and quality of life among older persons with dementia. Dr. Jutta Lindert (Germany) will focus on the impact of social stress and strain on the episodic memory and executive functioning of the “Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) cohort. And finally Dr. Mauro Carta (Italy) will illustrate the positive effect of moderate physical activity on cognitive functioning and general wellbeing of older people. Key messages Mental health problems among the growing group of older people are prevalent and of different kind. More scientific insight is needed on the prevalence and determinants of these problems, in order to provide timely and adequate support and prevention.


2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Schomerus ◽  
S. Evans-Lacko ◽  
N. Rüsch ◽  
R. Mojtabai ◽  
M. C. Angermeyer ◽  
...  

Aims.There is substantial diversity in national suicide rates, which has mainly been related to socio-economic factors, as well as cultural factors. Stigma is a cultural phenomenon, determining the level of social acceptance or rejection of persons with mental illness in a society. In this study, we explore whether national suicide rates are related to the degree of mental illness stigma in that country.Methods.We combine the data on country-level social acceptance (Eurobarometer) with the data on suicide rates and socio-economic indicators (Eurostat) for 25 European countries.Results.In a linear regression model controlling for socio-economic indicators, the social acceptance of someone with a significant mental health problem in 2010 was negatively correlated with age standardised national suicide rates in the same year (β −0.46, p = 0.014). This association also held true when combining national suicide rates with death rates due to events of undetermined intent.Conclusions.Stigma towards persons with mental health problems may contribute to differences in suicide rates in a country. We hypothesise possible mechanisms explaining this link, including stigma as a stressor and social isolation as a consequence of stigma.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 647-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerio Baćak ◽  
Sigrún Ólafsdóttir

Aims: The aims of this study were to: (1) examine the concurrent validity of self-rated health for mental and physical health in Europe; and (2) evaluate whether self-rated health predicts health problems differentially by gender. Methods: Data are from 19 European countries surveyed in the 2014 European Social Survey. We applied ordinary least squares regression to examine the association between self-rated health and summary indicators of physical and mental health problems. Results: We observed an association between self-rated health and both physical and mental health problems in all countries. Gender differences in the concurrent validity of self-rated health were documented in eleven out of 19 countries. Conclusions: Self-rated health is a valid and efficient measure of physical and mental health across the European continent, with significantly greater concurrent validity among women.


2017 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel B Harvey ◽  
Matthew Modini ◽  
Sadhbh Joyce ◽  
Josie S Milligan-Saville ◽  
Leona Tan ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 2101-2101
Author(s):  
A. Baumann

People with mental health problems and their families have not been involved as equal partners in decision-making processes on mental health services, and they continue to be at risk of social exclusion and discrimination in all facets of life. In a mental health context, empowerment refers to the level of choice, influence and control that users of mental health services can exercise over events in their lives, and the key to empowerment is the removal of formal or informal barriers and the transformation of power relations between individuals, communities, services and governments. Despite all achievements that have been made over the past decade, there is still a strong need for empowerment of people with mental health problems and their families. The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe and the European Commission started a three years lasting "Partnership Project on Empowerment in Mental Health" in 2008 which aims to support Member States in the European Region in creating societies in which people with mental health problems are enabled to develop and express their full potential as equal citizens. The WHO Statement on Empowerment in Mental Health has been published, about 100 examples of empowerment practice across Europe have been collected, and indicators for empowerment applicable at national level have been identified. The project outcomes and possibilities for their implementation at country level will be presented.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S523-S523
Author(s):  
S. Vladimirova ◽  
V. Lebedeva ◽  
E. Gutkevich ◽  
A. Semke ◽  
N. Bokhan ◽  
...  

In recent decades, new medications have been developed that entailed possibility of rehabilitation and socialization of mentally ill persons.PurposeTo consider a phenomenon of destigmatization of mentally ill persons on the example of the analysis of screening-questioning in mental health service.MethodsRandomized screening-questioning of participants of Open Doors Day in the clinics of Mental Health Research Institute (Tomsk, Russia) in connection with World Mental Health Day in October, 2015.ResultsOne hundred and forty-six residents of Tomsk and inhabitants of the Tomsk Region as well as other cities visited Mental Health Research Institute. 76,5% of them visited mental health service for the first time. More than a half of visitors (51%) was the most able-bodied age group – 20-50 years old; elderly people – 20%. According to many-year observation of authors of the work, there is a gradual destigmatization of people with mental health problems. Process of destigmatization will develop further, and mass media should also be engaged in it. One more moment should be emphasized – reduction of self-stigmatization. Though people do not still aim to seek for psychiatric help at the appropriate institutions (they prefer to visit the psychiatrist of the catchment area policlinic), they after all started recognizing presence of the problem, understanding the need of its overcoming, and possibility of its correction.ConclusionThe attitude of society towards people with mental health problems and towards psychiatry reasonably changes, and this promotes further development in the field of help to patients and their relatives.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


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