Worldwide research shows that depressive disorders do not receive adequate treatment

A team led by the University of Queensland 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 published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Researchers found that 70% of Australians diagnosed with major depressive disorder do not receive even the minimum necessary treatment.

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 were receiving adequate care globally.

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

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

Minimally adequate treatment for 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%, while the lowest rates in sub-Saharan Africa were just 2%.

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

“There was a small discrepancy between the sexes, with women (10.2%) having higher rates than men (7.2%).”

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

“There are effective treatments available and with the right treatment people can make a full recovery,” said Professor Whiteford.

“Without treatment, the suffering and disability caused by depression can be long-lasting and negatively impact relationships, work and education.

“In financing and evaluating mental health care, we must focus on the quality and duration of treatment, and on 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 coverage by at least 50% by 2030.

“Highlighting locations and demographic groups with the lowest treatment rates can provide guidance in prioritizing areas for intervention and resource allocation,” said Dr. Santomauro.

“The data provide a baseline for monitoring progress in improving the treatment of depressive disorders.”