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Depression increased sharply during the corona pandemic, and given the current crises, the number of patients could continue to rise. What Psychiatric Primary Roger Pycha says about the current situation.
Daily newspaper: Mr. Primar, according to the WHO, the corona pandemic has led to a sharp increase in some mental illnesses. Depression and anxiety disorders are said to have increased by 25 percent worldwide in the first year of the pandemic alone. How dramatic is the situation?
Roger Delicious (Primary of Psychiatry in Brixen): According to a study by the Italian Chamber of Psychologists, the increase in anxiety disorders was dramatic at the beginning, from 14 to 42 percent. Although one should actually speak of an increase in fear, fear for one’s own life or that of close relatives. However, anxiety disorders quickly went down again, in Germany from 18 to 8 percent, but the struggle with increased depression remained.
What is the current situation in South Tyrol?
We had fewer than 2,000 patients at the Brixen Mental Health Center in 2019, and in 2021 there were 2,447 – i.e. 25 percent more. And when you consider that less than half of those affected seek help at all, we come to a huge number of unreported cases.
And what are the numbers for 2022?
This year there is an increase in the need for psychological and psychiatric care by an estimated 10 percent – which is extremely demanding on our already overburdened services. Unfortunately, there will therefore be longer waiting times, and a psychological crisis hotline will have to be set up again to compensate.
Why do less than half of those affected seek help?
When it comes to mental disorders, shame has always been the major obstacle. Those affected perceive their own depression or anxiety disorder as their own fault and want to hide their weakness. They are simply afraid that they will no longer be taken seriously as a result. That needs to change. No one is ashamed of having the flu or diabetes. The same must be true for depression or anxiety disorder.
The Copsy study also has children and adolescents 2021 a pandemic-related doubling of mental and psychosomatic complaints. Has the situation stabilized again in the meantime, or will many cases be added over time?
In fact, the psychosocial crisis is lagging behind the medical one, it started about four weeks after the start of the pandemic, and is only gradually reaching its full extent. Fueled by economic fallout, debt, new job searches, disrupted education and uncertain futures, it is likely to last a year beyond the medical crisis.
First Corona, now the Ukraine war and the energy crisis: What are these crises doing to people?
Fortunately, we all have a certain ability to withstand crises, it’s called resilience. This means that we can withstand chronic stress quite well because we prepare ourselves better and better and the moments of surprise become fewer. We are constantly reacting more intelligently. It depends on turning straw into gold like in a fairy tale, or turning disadvantages into advantages for survival.
In view of this development, will the number of patients continue to rise?
This is to be expected and we would do well to dress warmly. However, the psychological competence of the individual also increases. In the meantime, everyone strives for their own balance in difficult situations. We are almost forced to monitor and nurture our own mental health. Sufficient exercise, at least 30 minutes a day, works as well as a tablet of the antidepressant sertraline – but only after 16 weeks. Sertraline works after three weeks.
Is depression easy to spot or is it a gradual process?
The two basic symptoms for recognizing depression are persistent depression lasting at least two weeks and the loss of psychic energy – then the strength to make even the smallest decisions is often lacking and the most pleasant activities become tedious.
A psychologist bonus was also introduced this year. What do you make of it?
This is a unique, targeted measure by the state that was most surprisingly affected by Corona after China. Italy has recognized that mental health is the factor that makes us process Corona best.
According to the WHO, depression is now one of the most important diseases for women and men. How can and must one react to this?
As of 2020, depression is the most important disease in the world for women. For men, who are somewhat better protected against it, the WHO estimates that this will be the case by 2030 at the latest. 15 to 20 percent of all people will suffer from depression in their lifetime, that is 1.3 billion people. And every mental illness affects an average of six other people. In purely numerical terms, the subject of depression affects the entire world population. The request is: to know more about it in order to protect yourself better.
Interview: Lisi Lang
Where to get help:
General practitioners, mental health centers and psychological services are the best places to go for people suffering from depression. In emergencies linked to serious illness or the risk of suicide, you should contact the emergency number 112 or the first aid departments of the hospitals in Bolzano, Merano, Bressanone and Bruneck. There is a psychiatric on-call service there around the clock.
There is also a network of counseling in advance: the Caritas “telephone counseling” 0471/052052, “telefono amico” 02/23272327 and “Young and direct” 0471/1551551 are valuable contact points and contacts in mental crises.
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