"Get out of the shadow of depression", appeal from patients and the scientific world

(by Nicola Simonetti) Depressed people from all over the world (121 millions of people, increase - says the WHO - in 10 years, of 20%; in Italy, 3,5 million depressed people; in Europe over 35 million) give yourself the hand for a protest circle that turns the equator twice. Two thirds of those affected are women.

In Italy, less than 50% of sufferers receive timely diagnosis and correct treatment and, to receive a correct diagnosis, it takes two years after the first symptoms appear.

The social cost, in terms of lost working hours, is 4 billion a year. Every patient with depression costs the National Health Service 5.000 per year.

The costs of non-treatment or insufficient treatment of depression are also very important due to the implications related in particular to permanent personal injury and loss of productivity.

Onda Foundation, National Observatory on Women's and Gender Health, presented yesterday, in the Chamber of Deputies, the Manifesto "Leaving the Shadow of Depression" (sponsored by Cittadinanzattiva, Progetto Itaca, SIP-Italian Society of Psychiatry and SINPF- Italian Society of Neuropsychopharmacology, Janssen's unconditional contribution), a "collective call to action" to promote prevention, access to diagnosis and treatment, also through the strengthening of services in the area, and research activities in the pharmacological, cognitive and psychosocial field.

Depression has been recognized by the World Health Organization as the leading cause of disability globally.

"Depression is an unavoidable issue when it comes to health and in particular the health of women who - says Francesca Merzagora, president Onda - is affected twice as much as men. Our goal is to raise awareness of the disease among the population to overcome the stigma that is still so rooted and try to bring patients closer to diagnosis and appropriate care "

The document presented "Depression: challenge of the century - A commitment to fight it while awaiting a national plan" contains the Manifesto in 10 points "Get out of the shadow of depression" as a collective call to action to promote effective targeted prevention actions, a timely and facilitated access to the diagnosis and treatment paths, also through the strengthening of local services and research activities aimed at identifying the most effective and innovative therapeutic measures in the pharmacological, cognitive and psychosocial sphere. "This effort cannot ignore the role of the institutions that we are involving on this issue". The Manifesto "Coming out of the shadow of depression" is a tool that we hope will be the basis for the establishment of an interparliamentary table, led by the Hon. Rossana Boldi, in order to quickly define a national plan to combat depression, involving all stakeholders ”.

"Major depression is a psychiatric illness often undiagnosed, not understood in its severity, often misunderstood," comments the Hon. Rossana Boldi, Vice President of the Social Affairs Committee, Chamber of Deputies. "It compromises the working, social and affective life of those who are affected, and often, because of the stigma that follows from it, rejects the diagnosis. I believe the time has come for the institutions to take on the problem in a concrete way. Three and a half million patients in Italy, of which two thirds are women, can no longer be neglected. I hope that the manifesto that we present today thanks to Onda, will become the basis for concrete proposals to define a National Plan for depression, aimed at establishing certain paths for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this pathology. A plan that finally puts patients and their families at the center and knows how to grasp the complexity of this pathology ".

Among the 10 points of the Manifesto the importance of not underestimating the alarm bells as the transitory states of sadness emerges and to address to the own doctor of confidence or the specialist when these last a long time; reduce the time of diagnosis; to promote therapeutic adherence by involving family members and caregivers in the care pathway; reduce the stigma that hovers over the disease and that prevents patients and those around them from asking for help through proper information and awareness.

Italian action is in line with the content of the report "A sustainable approach to depression: moving from words to action" recently presented to the European Parliament on the initiative of a coalition of scientific societies and associations of European family members engaged in the fight against depression. The report, which highlights the severity of depression in Europe and the need for greater investment at the political-institutional level, to counter it, suggests concrete recommendations on how to tackle this disease based on proven scientific evidence and good practice and hopes for an adequate response by of policy makers.

"Even if the Italians are not the most depressed in the EU, the average of our country is high: the 5,5% of the population suffers from major depression with a clear prevalence declined in women", explains Claudio Mencacci, Director DSMD - Neuroscience ASST Fatebenefratelli- Sacco, Milan and President of SINPF, Italian Society of Neuropsychopharmacology. “It is important to recognize it in the various phases of life where we note a crescendo, from adolescence (1,9%) to adulthood (6,5%), up to 13,1% in over 65. An early recognition of symptoms and the application of appropriate therapeutic pathways is increasingly important ".

"Depression actually involves serious damage to the development and maintenance of work, family, relational, emotional and social skills for those who suffer and for caregivers," adds Alberto Siracusano, Director of the UOC Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome . "This disease also leads to a marked deterioration in the quantity and quality of life both due to comorbidity with many medical conditions and to the particularly high risk of suicide in the age groups between 20 and 34 years and after 65 with more than 3.600 cases of annual suicide ”.

"The pharmacological research is aimed at responding to the current unsatisfied therapeutic needs in the treatment of depression, especially with regard to cognitive and residual symptoms in patients who do not respond to traditional pharmacological treatments", continues Giorgio Racagni, President-elect SIF, Italian Society of Pharmacology . "The loss of neuron plasticity of specific neurotransmitters is a crucial factor in the pharmacology and pathology of this disease, leading to the neurotrophic hypothesis of depression. It is on this target that the mechanism of action of the new glutamatergic drugs that have recently been shown to lead to a rapid clinical response is based ".

"Drug companies are at the forefront of combating depression with around forty new molecules in development around the world, potential founders of new therapeutic classes," says Massimo Scaccabarozzi, President of Farmindustria. "Furthermore, among the 1.600 clinical trials on depression conducted internationally today thanks to the contribution of the pharmaceutical industry, besides 1.300 they use innovative approaches, such as digital technologies, identification of new therapeutic targets and new routes of administration."

"The commitment of companies is therefore aimed", concludes Scaccabarozzi "to minimize the impact of this disease on the population and allow patients to lead a normal daily life".

"Get out of the shadow of depression", appeal from patients and the scientific world

| NEWS ', OPINIONS |