IMPORTANT UNIVERSITY DEPRESSION STUDY GROUP SURVEY!
Sadly, millions of people affected by depression are not being treated for it. One reason for this unfortunate situation is that many individuals do not recognize their symptoms as being the result of depression. Others know that they are depressed but choose not to tell their doctors.
The University Depression Study Group (UDSG), of which I am a member, is trying to do something about this problem. The UDSG is an official DailyStrength.Org group that receives funding from the National Institute of Mental Health. We will do so by developing video messages that will be shown in doctors' waiting rooms to help patients recognize depressive symptoms and encourage them to ask for help..
ABOUT THE SURVEY
To develop these patient education videos, the UDSG has already carried out focus groups of individuals with depression in three major cities. These focus groups identified 10 issues that they believe should be addressed in any public health information campaign. NOW IT IS YOUR TURN! These 10 ideas can be communicated in different ways. The UDSG would like you to complete a survey in which you will be asked how much you like or dislike messages that could be used in the videos to get more people with depression into treatment. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and is anonymous (you will not be asked to identify yourself). Your "votes" will help to shape educational materials that will potentially be seen by millions of people, so please take this task seriously!
Most of the survey consists of "forced choice" questions that ask you to rate your preference between two sets of messages. There are also a few questions about you so that we can understand better the people who participate in this survey. Again, your responses are anonymous.
WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE
For this survey we are interested in the opinions of people aged 18 years or older who have a history of depression. This includes people who are dealing with depression at this time AND people who are not currently feeling depressed, but have had at least one bout of depression in their lives. If you are under 18 or have never dealt with depression, please do not continue with this survey.
WHY YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE
Members on this forum often complain about the poor quality of the health services they receive. The UDSF is a reform-minded group of researchers who have been doing applied, policy-oriented research for years -- research that is making a difference. This is your chance to act upon your dissatisfaction by helping these researchers to help the community.
STUDY LINK
You can go to the survey by clicking on this link:
http://www.ciwweb.com/~t2d2team/t2d2logn.htm
Dr O.
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19
I have Major Depression and BiPolar. My psychiatrist has tried ALL new meds and he says my body is NOT RESPONDING to any of them--I do not believe this. I do not think I have to suffer. Any suggestions?
Provigil
By Provigil November 17, 2008 12:26pm
18
I took this survey already and didn't take it again. Thanks, Hugs to you for the opportunity to be involved. Tom
By tom2687 November 9, 2008 1:23am
17
I know this has nothing to do with the article---but has anyone ever told you that you look like Dr. Cutty off of the series House? You look just like her to me, and everytime I read one of your posts, I think that....so there's for a useless comment that I had to say. :)
By coden23 November 4, 2008 1:02pm
16
I have read all of these comments..thanks you guys.
I agree that we need more education for Doctors..no question...I know at USC we have set up lectures for the internal medicine and family medicine residents on Depression and Anxiety in the Primary Care Setting..so we are trying to educate....
Dr O.
By DrOrrange October 29, 2008 2:22pm
15
I tok the survey as well. It sounds like the same ole same ole. I agree with some of the statements below, More education of the part of the Doctor, but would aslo like to see more information for family and friends. Most make it sound like its not a serious condition thus making it harder for the ones who have cronic depression. I have heard comments like "its all in your head" Duh, we are well aware of that. Its the disabilating aspect that gives the ones with cronic depression the problems. Then to make light of it tends to make me more depressed. If this is going into Dr offices, I think it should also inform everyone of how disabilitaing it can be so that the friends and families will know its not just in someones head. Thanks for the opprotunity to put in my 2 cents.
By Waitingforhim October 29, 2008 11:32am
14
I did the survey - thanks. I did not have room in the comments section to state the problem of people who, like me have been taking medications for depression prescribed by top psychiatrists in my area including two who work at a large reseach university ( the one that will be doing the large scale study of deep brain stimulation, for example) and going to therapy, following their instructions diligently for 20 years and am still profoundly disabled by depression - living on SSDI.
I found this quote by a doctor that backs up my comments on the lack of effectiveness for many people of the current treatments for depression:
From: http://www.bio-medicine.org/medici...
"Clinical neuroscience advances have greatly improved the diagnosis and treatment of depression, but much more is needed. These disorders lead the world in producing disability, and more than half of the millions being treated for clinical depression currently fail to achieve wellness," said John Greden, MD, Professor of Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences and Executive Director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center. "Before now, few options have been available for them other than complex and often unproven combinations of medications.
By woodlandpath October 28, 2008 6:28pm
13
I took the survey but was disturbed by not having enough characters available to type my comments. I too know that family doctors in my area are not educated to diagnose depression in people. Especially in me. All they do is say that you are somatic and tell you to go home and relax. I suffered with being only half helped even by psychiatrists because they didn't want to look into the FACT that I had a chemical imbalance that needed a second medication. And my family doctor is supposed to determine this? I am so conserned about this problem because my son also has bouts of depression and I had to be open with him my whole life. This is a good thing but I don't like feeling that as a mother there isn't qualified family doctors out there ready to diagnose. Now I have a granddaughter and am afraid she might be effected when she gets older. I so hope I am around to share my help with her. The information they are trying to put together should give people a direct number or agency to call about the problem along with their doctor. Hopefully someone that can do the job right. Even psychiatrists can be dead ends.
By lizgirl October 27, 2008 8:22pm
12
I finished the survey and accidently hit wrong button. I am commenting on the survey--I lost my job 1 yr ago due to MS. At first I figured I can get caught up with all my lose ends. One year later, I am not doing my volunteer work,helping with swim lessons and am watching too much tv. I am starting to go on our computer and keeping myself busy. Thanks!!!!!
By meggie1 October 27, 2008 3:17pm
11
I think this is a good thing as my brother committed suicide this summer due to severe depression. I have struggled a bit with it but mostly I was on the panic/anxiety side of things.
By Lauri04 October 27, 2008 1:14pm
10
I did the survey after I left my last comment. I also didn't like the choices because none of them reflected my true thoughts and feelings. But I continued in the hopes there would be some open-ended questions (an absolute MUST in ANY survey).
The problem with survey instruments is they're usually too limited. There was an opportunity to say whatever I wanted, but that was limited to a certain number of characters and certainly not enough to express what I had to say. The trouble with limited choices is that they still STEER the respondent in a specific direction.
It seemed to me that, based on the questions and choices in this survey, this will NOT address what I mentioned in my previous comment here. I'm afraid those who will review the results will think that if worded a certain way, messages will encourage us to open a dialog with our drs. And, while that is sorely needed, it won't help UNTIL drs become MORE EDUCATED AND ARE WILLING (OR ENABLED BY INS CO's & MEDICAL CONGLOMERATES WHO DICTATE HOW MUCH TIME THEY CAN SPEND WITH EACH PATIENT).
To me, this survey was way too narrow in scope and doesn't give me hope that anything is being done to educate doctors. Dr. O, I am more than happy to discuss this further with you, if you are interested.
By SeaNymph October 27, 2008 11:44am
9
Good morning....Thanks for the information. Very often, I feel out of sync with the world. Is bipolar the same as depression?
namaste mlb
By mlb October 27, 2008 11:01am
8
I was going to fill the survey out, but i was really put off by the wording of the "choices".They post two statements and then the choices are "strongly like" Strongly dislike"? i mean "Like or dislike" shouldn't it be I "strongly agree" or "I strongly disagree"?.
People that are depressed are just depressed not stupid or child like.
I'm posting this comment because this has been one of my main problems with therapists, most of them seem to put themselves in a positon of being above you, a lot of times undestimating us patients and not treating people individually but generally.
A lot of us are very well informed on our own and we need the therapist to understand that.
So i'm not filling out the survey because already the word usage tells me whoever wrote i assume was a Doc doesn't understand depressed people.
By amiko October 26, 2008 11:36pm
7
wow, SeaNymph! did you hit the nail on the head!! when you deal with a doctor who is undereducated about a disease and still tries to treat it, it's discouraging. and even the psch. docs give you a pill, you tell them the side effects your having and instead of correcting the dosage, changing the med, whatever.. you wind up on MORE meds to treat the side effects of the first one and before you know it you're popping a fist-full of pills several times a day!
therapy is a MUST!! if the underlying problems aren't identified and addressed, all of the medication in the world won't help. even in CHEMICAL depression, there are underlying psychological factors at work, and THAT needs to be addressed, as well. too often even doctors think that because the main cause of the depression is chemical, then pop a pill and it will solve it.
we all have some baggage somewhere and even if a chemical imbalance is the primary problem, the psychological factors must be handled appropriately.
By tadlem October 25, 2008 1:24pm
6
Looking back on my University Years I can clearly see that I took the advice of many people who plugged me into full-time course loads at the same time I was working full time. apparently, no funding is available for less than fulltime students-not enough to live on without a job to supplement. If I lived at home with my parents, where I didn't pay room and board, I was not qualified for financial aid at all. And, I worked the year before applying, I didn't qualify because I made too much money. Can't win for lose. I think the educational system really needs to be updated to better fit current job market demands.
By Cybercatxq October 25, 2008 11:42am
5
SeaNymph: I couldnt agree more
By DrOrrange October 25, 2008 11:27am
4
We also need INFORMED doctors who don't just hand out antidepressants and/or anti-anxiety pills without delving a bit further and at least trying to determine the TYPE of AND REASON for depression and certainly not without urging therapy. Meds w/o therapy just make for zombie-ized patients - easier for the doc, but not the patient.
Also drs need to be more aware of how meds affect people. Unfortunately, most people don't know that we are all being overdosed on all of our meds because they're pretty much one of a few doses fit all. They don't know that our kidneys, etc. then have to work overtime to flush out the excess (especially if we are on multiple meds). Wouldn't it be nice if our meds were tailored to our individual bodies based on weight, absorption rates, other meds we're taking, etc.? If nothing else, patients should be informed of ALL side effects, even the ones the pharm co's hide.
Sorry about getting on my soap box, but this is a HUGE problem that happens more often than not. Antidepressants & anti-anxiety pills are some of the most prescribed meds by many drs & nps who really aren't all that knowledgable (other than what the pharm rep tells them) &/or qualified to dx depression or anxiety.
Besides being the paying customer, we patients are human beings and we deserve better!
By SeaNymph October 25, 2008 10:48am
3
EQUAL HEALTH CARE OPTIONS FOR ALL!!! This is your biggest weapon in the struggle for freedom from depression. Only when all those effected by depression are given equal respect in the form of free and informed CHOICE in health care, regardless of financial status, will the problems of depression begin to turn around. Depression is not just an individual phenomenon. It is a SYSTEMIC social symptom.
~Saffron
By splitsaffron October 25, 2008 2:25am
2
Thank you for working on this. My brother first realized he suffers from (permanent, low-grade) depression while sitting in the GPs office, looking at a poster. I first connected the dots about being an abused child looking at a poster at our university's pharmacy. I was about 25 at the time, and the abuse was NOT subtle. I don't know where my brain has been till then, but the truth is, no amount of brains will help without EDUCATION.
I just want to say, someone needs to be working on the doctors, too. I'm not talking about my OB who asked me, as part of chit-chat, if I go "coo-coo" (seeing that I have bipolar disorder). I'm talking about my Nurse Practitioner who patted me on the back during a raging episode and said "this sounds like post-partum depression to me, why don't you go home, and have a glass of wine, and try to relax a little?" A referral at that point would have saved me a lot of grief.
By cb72 October 24, 2008 9:38pm
1
Thank you glad to help .....
By repoman1 October 24, 2008 9:14pm