The Lundbeck Mental Health Barometer 2009
Now in its fifth year of research, the Lundbeck Mental Health Barometer has annually charted attitudes and perceptions of depression and anxiety disorder in Ireland to give an overview of how they affect both those that suffer from them, and the family/friends of those living with these conditions. regarded as very disruptive, with depression rated as the third most disruptive condition in Ireland. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that depression will be the second most disabling medical disorder in the world for all ages, both sexes by 2020, and it is currently the second most disabling in the age category 15-44(3). Stigma also remains an issue for both depression and anxiety, and the numbers considering either condition stigmatising have risen since 2008.
While the overall number of people who have ever personally experienced depression remains static across all five years of research (5% - 172,000 of the adult population), there has been a slight increase in the number of people who have personal experience of anxiety since 2005, from 2% up to 4% in 2009 (146,000) (1). Depression is an under-diagnosed condition, and the incidence in Ireland is estimated as 400,000 (2).When compared to other health conditions, both depression and anxiety are
Experience of depression and anxiety disorder Age
Gender
DEPRESSION EXPERIENCE X DEMOGRAPHICS
Total
Male
Female 15-24 25-34 35-49
%
%
%
%
%
Class
Area
50-64
65+
ABC1
C2DE
F
Urban
Rural
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Family/ Friend
‘08
17
15
19
16
13
19
21
12
18
16
15
17
17
‘09
17
14
20
9
20
18
19
17
14
18
19
15
20
Personally
‘08
5
4
5
1
5
8
6
6
3
6
5
6
3
‘09
5
4
5
1
6
4
8
5
2
7
4
4
7
‘08
19
16
21
16
14
21
24
16
19
19
17
19
18
‘09
18
15
21
9
22
18
21
19
15
20
20
16
22
F/F or personally
•
The figures for the 25-34 year old age group who have either personal or familial experience of depression is higher than any other age bracket, and has increased from 14% in 2008 to 22% in 2009.
Gender
ANXIETY EXPERIENCE X DEMOGRAPHICS Family/ Friend
Personally
F/F or personally
•
Total
Male
%
%
Age
Female 15-24 25-34 35-49 %
%
%
%
Class
Area
50-64
65+
ABC1
C2DE
F
Urban
Rural
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
‘08
7
6
9
7
4
10
8
7
8
8
3
8
6
‘09
9
6
13
5
11
11
10
10
8
10
11
8
11
‘08
4
3
5
2
3
6
5
4
3
5
3
6
1
‘09
4
3
5
*
4
5
6
5
4
4
7
4
4
‘08
10
9
11
8
8
14
11
10
10
11
6
12
7
‘09
11
7
15
5
13
12
12
13
9
12
14
10
12
15% of women, compared to 7% of men, have either personal experience, or have a friend/family member who suffers with anxiety.
The Lundbeck Mental Health Barometer
The Lundbeck Mental Health Barometer 2009 Awareness and concealment of depression •
•
•
The 2009 figures show that there has been a significant reduction in the concealment of depression, resulting in more awareness of the condition. This could mean that people are now more willing to talk about their condition with family and friends than before. Over half (53%) of those who have experienced depression either personally or amongst their family members or friends believe that ‘many’ or ‘some’ would have been aware of the condition at the time. This is a significant increase from 20% in 2008, 20% in 2007 and 18% in 2006. Of those who have personally suffered with depression, 64% said ‘many’ or ‘some’ would have been aware, a sharp increase from 9% in 2008, 25% in 2007 and 23% in 2006. Only 6% stated that ‘none’ would have been aware, which is very encouraging when compared to previous years of 37% in 2008, 37% in 2008 and 44% in 2006.
Aware of condition X person suffering Self / Family member ever suffered
BROADER AWARENESS OF DEPRESSION IN FAMILY X SUFFERER
Many would have been aware Some would have been aware
Self
Family
’06
’07
’08
’09
’06
’07
’08
10 8
7 13
10
19
5
5
8
18
20
10
’09
’06
’07
’08
’09
14
11 7
6 10
10 8
19
22
24
26
33
37
29
18
13
1
29 23
25
26
34
27
24
50
Very few would have been aware None would have been aware
37
37
44
29
41
33
50
18
18
14
12
39
30
6 Don’t know /Not stated
45
10
18
11
6 15
6
20
Most common sufferers of depression •
• •
30% of the adult population believe that the unemployed are the most common group to experience depression, compared to 22% in 2008. Of those who personally suffer with depression however, this figure drops to 23% who believe that depression is most common among the unemployed. Of those with personal experience of depression, 31% believe that youths/teens are the most likely group to experience depression, which is more than double the figure of 15% in 2008 and is a significant increase. With regard to gender, more of those who personally suffer with depression believe that women are the most common group to suffer with depression (17%), rather than men (11%). Ever experienced personally
All adults 38
Youth / teens 22
Unemployed
DEPRESSION: MOST COMMON FOR WHOM?
Older people / aging Men Women Parents Full time workers
31 20 23 24
Unemployed
30 11 10 8 11 7 9 5 3 4 3
15
Youth / teens
29
DEPRESSION: MOST COMMON FOR WHOM?
Older people / aging Men Women
2008 2009
Parents Full time workers
9 13 11 14 17 9 3 0 7
2008 2009
These results are a snapshot from Mind Yourself – The Lundbeck Mental Health Barometer 2009, which also focused on other areas of depression and anxiety such as; social stigma; disruptiveness of different health conditions; attitudes towards depression and anxiety; and perceptions of those who are most likely to suffer with depression and anxiety. The results draw comparisons to previous years of data. The findings are drawn from a nationally representative survey of the adult population undertaken each year for Lundbeck by Behaviour and Attitudes. For a full breakdown of the research results please contact Lundbeck (Ireland) Ltd. on 01 - 468 9800
t: 4689 800 f: 4689 850 www.lundbeck.ie
References (1) Mind Yourself – The Lundbeck Mental Health Barometer 2009 (2) Aware – www.aware.ie (3) WHO website – www.who.int