Global study shows depressive disorders not getting adequate treatment

A University of Queensland-led team analyzed data for 204 countries and territories, to assess global access to adequate mental health care. The study involved researchers from the University of Washington, the World Health Organization and Harvard University and was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Researchers found that 70% of Australians diagnosed with major depressive disorder are not receiving even the minimal treatment necessary.

Dr. Damian Santomauro from UQ’s School of Public Health and the Queensland Center for Mental Health Research said the aim was to understand how many people with depressive disorders worldwide were receiving adequate care.

“In 2021, 30% of Australians with a major depressive disorder received minimally adequate treatment,” Dr. Santomauro said.

“High-income regions showed the highest rates of adequate mental health treatment, but still quite low at 27% and only seven countries had rates that exceeded 30%.”

Minimally adequate treatment for major depressive disorders is defined as at least one month of medication in addition to four visits to a doctor or eight sessions with a professional.

In 90 countries, adequate treatment was below 5% with the lowest rates in sub-Saharan Africa at only 2%.

“Globally, only 9% of people with major depressive illnesses received the minimal treatment necessary,” Dr. Santomauro said.

“There was a small gender discrepancy with females (10.2%) having higher rates than males (7.2%).”

Psychiatrist and School of Public Health researcher Professor Harvey Whiteford said many people with depression need more than minimally adequate treatment.

“Effective treatments are available and with the right treatment, people can fully recover,” Professor Whiteford said.

“Without treatment, the suffering and impairment from depression can be prolonged and negatively affect relationships, work and education.

“In mental health funding and evaluation, we need to focus on the quality and duration of treatment, as well as measuring access to care.”

Dr. Santomauro said the findings support the World Health Organization’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030, which aims to increase mental health service coverage by at least 50% by 2030.

“Highlighting locations and demographic groups who have the lowest treatment rates can guide prioritizing areas for intervention and resource allocation,” Dr. Santomauro said.

“The data provides a baseline for tracking progress to improve treatment for major depressive disorders.”