A study by researchers at the National Health Research Institutes found that 27 percent of people aged 50 and above with depression sought medical attention, and only 11 percent received effective treatment.
National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research associate researcher Wu Chi-shin (吳其炘), who is also a doctor in the Psychiatry Department of National Taiwan University Hospital’s Yunlin Branch, said yesterday that his research team found that the estimated prevalence of depression among Taiwanese in that age group is about 16.3 percent.
The study identified 1,253 people with clinically relevant depression out of 7,675 participants aged 50 and above in the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging, published in 2015, who were identified using the epidemiological studies depression scale and National Health Insurance records of depressive disorders.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
“Many people cannot differentiate between having depressive feelings and suffering depression,” Wu said.
Depression is marked by two weeks of one or a combination of symptoms including rapid changes in energy level, insomnia, excessive sleep, frequent negative thoughts and suicidal ideation, he added.
The study found that while 83 percent of people with clinical depression said it is convenient to access treatment, only 27 percent sought medical assistance, and only 11 percent were effectively treated, Wu said.
The study said that some factors lead to a higher willingness for a depressed person to visit a doctor, including being female, married, retired or unemployed; having a high education level or social group engagement; exercising regularly; and participating in leisure activities.
Previous studies have also suggested that people with depression have higher rates of frailty and mortality, he said.
About 50 percent of Europeans and Americans with depression seek mental health treatment, while the rate in Japan is about 30 to 40 percent, showing that Taiwan’s rate is exceptionally low, Wu said, adding that stigma is a primary reason for people not seeking mental health services.
The study’s suggestions for boosting treatment rates include increasing depression screening service sites, promoting psychiatry telemedicine for people who feel nervous about visiting a clinic, and encouraging community support for older people.
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) has been investigating nine shell companies working with Prince Holding Group, and the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office is seeking further prosecution of alleged criminals, a source said yesterday. The nine companies and three Taiwanese nationals were named by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Oct. 14 as Specially Designated Nationals as a result of a US federal court indictment. Prince Holding founder Chen Zhi (陳志) has been charged with fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and overseeing Prince Holding’s suspected forced-labor camps in Cambodia, the indictment says. Intelligence shared between Taiwan,
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
RSS