Public Awareness About the Connection Between Depr

Authors: Michael Blumenfield Julianne K Suojanen Charlene Weiss

Publish Date: 2011/11/05

Volume: 83, Issue: 3, Pages: 259-269

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Abstract

The medical community continues to acknowledge a connection between depression and physical health for example cardiac disease This study addresses public awareness about depression’s effects on physical health the relationship between cardiac disease and depression and preferred sources of health information in an effort to inform future health education programs A survey administered to 816 adults ages 40–69 focused on public awareness perception of depression as an illness its impact on other illnesses such as heart disease and sources of health information 1 Eightythree percent 83 of respondents felt depression was an illness 2 a slightly higher percentage 858 felt a mental disorder like depression could affect the course of a physical illness 3 respondents’ awareness of links between depression and cardiac disease ranged from 298 awareness of depression as a risk factor for coronary artery disease to 316 awareness that depression can increase the risk of having a second heart attack 4 print media were the most frequently cited sources of health information 227 and 5 more highly educated respondents were more informed about depression than respondents with less education Although a majority of respondents 1 recognized depression as an illness 2 thought it could complicate recovery from a physical illness less than a third of them were aware of links between cardiac disease and depression Demographic groups differed in their preferred sources of health information especially across educational levels demonstrating a need for targeted health educational outreach in efforts to reach a variety of populationsAt the time of the research Drs Blumenfield and Suojanen were on the faculty of New York Medical College which provided a grant to conduct the research and Dr Blumenfield was the Sidney E Frank Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry Behavior Sciences at the time that a grant was provided by the Sidney E Frank Endowment Fund Ms Weiss at the time the research began was a project director for the Chicago Ethnic Community Study at Metro Chicago Information Center MCIC which was retained to conduct the survey

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