Preventing "inspirational risk" scientific knowledge is the first step
Many people think that people who go to the psychiatric department to see depression are either crazy or stupid. They equate depression with mental illness and patients are prone to stigma. These misconceptions affect the early diagnosis of patients.
Our reporter Ye Qing
After questioning the last patient, Gan Zhaoyu checked the time. It was almost 7 o'clock in the evening.
"One afternoon, 15 appointment numbers, and a few plus ones." Gan Zhaoyu counted the number of patients.
He is the chief physician of the psychiatric department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, whose hospital has a branch in Meizhou City, Guangdong Province-Yuedong Hospital. This is his sixth visit to Yuedong Hospital.
"Some of the patients admitted today were junior and high school students, all of whom were depressed. Some of them were delayed for a long time, which delayed their condition, but unfortunately." Speaking of the patients, he was very distressed. In the final analysis, Chinese people lack scientific understanding of depression."
Recently, the National Health Commission announced the "Working Plan for Exploring Special Services for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). The goal is to initially form a national focus on mental health, support and participation in the prevention and treatment of depression in pilot areas by 2022. Social atmosphere.
The public's awareness rate of depression prevention knowledge reached 80%, and the students' awareness rate of depression prevention knowledge reached 85%.
"The "plan" is of positive significance, showing that society is facing up to depression, and will help raise public awareness and attention." Gan Zhaoyu told a reporter from Science and Technology Daily on October 16.
Misunderstanding affects early diagnosis
After years of working in the front line of clinical practice, Gan Zhaoyu has observed that the general public has an urgent need for psychiatry, whether it is cognition or medical treatment.
"Many people think that when they go to the psychiatric department to see depression, they are either crazy or stupid. They equate depression with mental illness, and patients are also prone to stigma. On the other hand, patients and their family members think about medication instead of worrying about side effects. Big, I think it’s good if you don’t take medicine. These misconceptions affect whether patients can get an early diagnosis.” In the past few years, Gan Zhaoyu has been doing science popularization, hoping to awaken the public’s scientific understanding of depression.
In the West, depression is called "inspiration."
Mainly showed depression, lack of pleasure, loss of interest, accompanied by decreased energy, sleep disturbance, decreased self-evaluation, and even thoughts or behaviors of self-injury and suicide.
"Such short-term depression like being scolded by the boss today and feeling depressed can be relieved and eliminated through self-regulation. Don't worry." Gan Zhaoyu pointed out that when the above symptoms occur multiple times and persist for more than 2 weeks, there are You may have been suffering from depression, you have to go to the hospital for further diagnosis.
"Depression, a mental illness, is actually a brain illness. This illness has nothing to do with laziness or hypocrisy. It does not mean that you want to start a little or be stronger. But this disease can be recovered through professional treatment. "Gan Zhaoyu especially emphasized the need for early diagnosis and scientific and precise medication.
Accompanied by the public's incomprehension of depression, the consultation rate and treatment rate of depression in my country are both at a relatively low level.
"Depression is not like a fracture, which can be clearly diagnosed through X-ray examination. So far, there is still no good indicator for the diagnosis and recovery of depression." Among the cases admitted by Gan Zhaoyu, there are many patients who have taken medicine for many years, but the condition is still The situation cannot be improved.
The "Healthy China Action (2019-2030)" shows that the prevalence of depression in my country has reached 2.1%, and the prevalence of anxiety disorders has reached 4.98%.
As of the end of 2017, 5.81 million people with severe mental disorders had been registered nationwide.
Compared with the huge demand for mental health, my country has no more than 50,000 psychiatrists, and the gap is still large.
In addition, the psychiatric department set up in general hospitals in my country is still a new force. In terms of discipline construction and professional doctor training, policy support is still weak, and the shortage and uneven distribution of mental health resources are prominent.
The "Plan" also pays attention to these problems, so it proposes that by 2022, the rate of depression treatment will be increased by 50% on the existing basis, the treatment rate will be increased by 30%, and the annual recurrence rate will be reduced by 30%.
Increase the training of physicians in non-psychiatric hospitals, and the recognition rate of physicians in non-psychiatric hospitals for depression will increase by 50% on the existing basis.
More than 300 million people worldwide are plagued by it
According to a global statistics report on depression released by the World Health Organization in 2017, from 2005 to 2015, the number of people affected by depression in the world increased by 18%.
In 2015, more than 300 million people worldwide were suffering from depression, accounting for about 4.3% of the global population.
Among them, cases of depression in China account for 4.2% of the national population.
Why is depression becoming more common?
Gan Zhaoyu pointed out that this is related to the level of social and economic development. "Who cares about mental health when food and clothing are a problem? Depression, which didn't seem to exist before, did not burst out suddenly, but we started to face it. ".
In the "Plan", adolescents, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with high-pressure occupations are listed as key groups.
Among them, for young people, middle schools and colleges and universities are required to set up psychological counseling (consulting) rooms and mental health education courses, and be equipped with mental health education teachers.
Mental health education is a compulsory course for all students in middle schools and institutions of higher learning, and professionals are hired to teach every semester.
"Adolescence is just at the double turning point of physiology and social psychology. All kinds of contradictions or peer competition encountered at this time will bring great impact and pressure to young people psychologically. Through mental health education, it can help young people Sort out the psychological pressure and evaluate the children with depression tendency, and intervene in time to help them smooth through the youth storm." Gan Zhaoyu said.
Due to the rapid changes in postpartum hormones in pregnant women, coupled with changes in social roles, especially the career challenges faced by mothers, increase their risk of postpartum depression.
The biggest problem for the elderly is that they face changes in the social role of menopause, similar to another version of "adolescence". Once the transition period is maladaptive, they are prone to depression.
People who are under high pressure in modern work and have been in high-pressure industries for a long time, such as civil servants and financial practitioners, are prone to feel physically and mentally exhausted, psychological fatigue, and the possibility of developing anxiety and depression.
Gan Zhaoyu said that timely identification of these high-risk groups and timely intervention by professional doctors are the key to increasing intervention for high-risk groups.
Statistics show that about 200,000 people commit suicide due to depression every year in China. Depression may become the second largest disease after cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
"It is true that some patients commit suicide because of depression, but we cannot simply think that the inevitable result of depression is suicide." Gan Zhaoyu emphasized.
Heart disease still needs heart medicine
"In life, each of us may experience depression, depression, poor appetite, insomnia and other conditions. Whether it is a'depression' or not, you need to go to the hospital to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist." Psychological consultation at Tamkang University in Taiwan Said Gao Hongmei, a professional master and Guangzhou practicing psychologist.
How is depression treated?
Mild cases generally do not need to take medication, moderate to severe cases need to follow the doctor's advice and cooperate with psychological treatment, while patients with life crisis need to be hospitalized.
"Consider the patient's financial situation." Gan Zhaoyu believes that drug therapy, family support, and a healthy lifestyle are more economical treatments.
"'Heart disease needs heart medicine.' Psychotherapy and psychological consultation are equivalent to'heart medicine.' Generally speaking, patients with depression are almost troubled by work pressure, unsatisfactory life or hindered development. Quickly play the role of eliminating or slowing down symptoms, stabilizing emotions, and restoring functions, but if personal psychological pressure persists in life or the'heart knot' is unresolved, the individual is struggling silently in loneliness without professional companionship and counseling, and depressed Symptoms may worsen or recur." Gao Hongmei pointed out that after seeking help from the psychiatric department of the hospital in time, he can choose the most suitable method among the treatment methods such as medication, psychotherapy or psychological consultation according to personal circumstances.
Following the doctor's advice and standardizing medication, combined with professional and stable psychotherapy or psychological counseling, is an ideal way to cope with depression, and the effect is often better.
In recent years, the domestic psychological counseling industry is in the ascendant, and the level of psychological counselors varies.
Gao Hongmei suggested that when selecting a psychological counselor, he should focus on his qualifications, training background, working experience and ethical standards.
Depression is not terrible, it is preventable and treatable.
The key to preventing depression lies in emotional management and a healthy lifestyle.
"When we encounter pressure, we will all be anxious. This is not a bad thing. This emotion can more mobilize our own strength to cope with the difficulties and crises we face. We should try to avoid treating this as a pathological emotion." Gan Zhaoyu said.
If there is a depression patient around, family and friends should learn to listen, understand his mood from the patient’s situation, and guide him to actively seek medical help instead of being immersed in his own world, let alone helping him through comfort Coming out of depression.
"I hope that specific measures for the implementation of the "Plan" will be introduced in the future to turn the content of the policy into actual execution and provide the public with real psychiatric services." Gan Zhaoyu said.