For Immediate Release

Contact:
Jennifer Peck
Andrea tenBroek
The Rasky/Baerlein Group
(617) 443-9933 exts. 329 & 355

October 8, 1998 --Waltham, MA  -- Only 41 percent of doctors have asked female patients between the ages of 45 and 75 about their emotional or psychological concerns, according to a recent national study by the National Center on Women and Aging at Brandeis University.  Yet, 93 percent of all women surveyed said they would be comfortable discussing emotional problems such as depression with a doctor, leading the researchers to wonder why these difficulties are not being addressed by health care providers.

Even more alarming is the fact that even women who have suffered clinical depression are not asked about their mental health by their providers.  Two out of five such women reported that their doctors had not raised these questions.

The survey showed that women who reported being diagnosed with clinical depression are more likely to say they have little or no control over their own health.   Compared to those who were not depressed, these women also were more likely to:
 

• Rate their health as fair or poor (36% vs. 18%);
• Report that their health had gotten worse over the past five years (63 % vs. 31%);
• Report unhealthy eating habits.

Depression is not only more common in women, but also may involve particular symptoms --  anxiety, panic attacks, and sleep difficulties for instance -- that occur more frequently in women than in men.   "We are very concerned that health care providers are neglecting to inquire about an illness that strikes one in five women," stated Phyllis Mutschler, Ph.D. Executive Director of the National Center on Women & Aging.  "We know that depression is not a normal part of aging and we urge providers to engage their female patients in a discussion of these serious health issues."

The Center encourages women to take advantage of an annual program offered on National Depression Screening Day.  National Depression Screening Day, Thursday, October 8, 1998, is a screening and educational program offered free to the public at locations throughout the country.  To learn about screenings and local sites, call 1-800-573-4433.

The National Center on Women and Aging at Brandeis University was established in 1995 to improve the lives of midlife and older women through research, policy analysis, and community education.  The Center is unique in its focus combining the development and dissemination of research with the creation of community partnerships to promote the security, health, independence, and well-being of women as they age.  The results of this scientific survey, conducted by Opinion Dynamics Corporation, were derived from interviews with 402 women nationally, and an additional 300 women from Massachusetts and New York.

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