for the evaluation of public knowledge and attitude toward depressive disorders, structured interview to lay peoples was carried out by using the Wig's hypothetical cases of depressive disorder, the Star's hypothetical cases of mental disorders,
and
the list of 25 depressive symptoms selected by the authors. Additionally, they were asked "Is this person necessary to have help?"
"If os, what kind of help do you think for this person?".
Subjects were 981 adult residents of Chungwon-gun, Chung-chungbukdo. The subjects were selected by random number table.
@ES The results were as follows:
@EN 1) Rates of recognizing the hypothetical cases as mental illness were 79.2% for paranoid schizophrenia. 40.4% for simple schizophrenia. 50.9% for endogenous depression and 22.6% for neurotic depression On the other hand, rates of recognizing
the
cases as persons who need some help were 94.1% for paranoid schizophrenia, 87.1% for simple schizophrenia, 87.6% for endogenous depression and 97.3% for neurotic depression.
2) Depressive symptoms recognized by the subjects who identified more than three of four hypothetical cases as mental illness were "feeling of being trapped", "crying easily", "blaming yourself for things", "feeling everthing is an effort", and
"feeling of worthlessness" On the other hand, symptoms such as "feeling low in energy", "loss sexual interest or pleasure", and "feeling helplessness about the future" were equally indentified as depressive symptoms among all the subjects.
3) Of the subjects who recognized endogenous depression as a mental illness, the causes of the illness were attributed to individual psychological problem in 61.2%, sociopsychological problem in 20.8% physical cause in 3.2% and supernatural
cause
in
0.8% of the subjects who recognized neurotic depression as a mental illness, the causes were attributed to individual psychological problem in 38.3%, and soclopsychological problem in 37.3%, and physical cause in 6.8%. There is no subject who
attributed
to supernatural cause.
4) Of the subjects who recognizd endogenous depression as a mental illness, 35.0% advised modern medical treatment 49.8% folk medicine including lay psychological manipulation.
Twelve point six percent had no answer. Of the subjects who recognized neurotic depression as a mental illness. 33.8% advised modern treatment, 450.9% folk medicine and lay psychological manipualtion. Eighteen point eight percent had no answer.
5) From the above findings, it was found that there is a considerable discrepancy among lay peoples' recognition, help and treatment. This discrepancy was serious in the cases of neurotic depression and simple schizophrenia. Furthermore, it is,
in
terms of early finding and early treatment, problematic that medical help was underestimated.
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