Depression is today more than ever a health and social emergency: it is considered the number one cause of disability globally and – according to many estimates – the Covid-19 pandemic is further increasing its incidence, also due to the health crisis and economic in place. Not only is it a widespread and growing disorder, but it is also one of the main causes of temporary and permanent disability: in Italy the prevalence of depressive symptoms is 6 per cent in the adult population, equal to about 3.5 million patients of of which 1.3 million with major depressive disorder, with a woman: man ratio of 2: 1. Furthermore, estimates indicate that the pandemic has caused a fivefold increase in depressive symptoms in our country: moderate ones have almost quadrupled and the most severe have grown by seven and a half times. “What we commonly call depression includes numerous pictures that differ from each other in symptomatic characteristics, duration, recurrence, response to treatments and degree of severity. It is therefore more essential than ever to spread a shared culture among institutions, healthcare professionals and civil society to favor the recognition, diagnosis and correct care of patients with this pathology “, introduces Francesca Merzagora, president of the Onda Foundation. , National Observatory on Women’s and Gender Health.
In this context, Fondazione Onda conceived the Stargate project, which provided for the organization of a technical table that produced the document «National recommendations for the management of patients with depression». The recommendations will then be declined at the regional level to incorporate the requests of the territories.
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