Every ninth suffer: alarming depression numbers in MV unveiled!

Every ninth suffer: alarming depression numbers in MV unveiled!

Latest studies show alarming numbers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: In 2022, every ninth inhabitant was faced with depression. According to the "Health Atlas Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Depression", created by the AOK scientific institute, the mental illness is a major problem in this state. Women and nurses in particular seem to be badly affected.

The AOK Nordost reported that around 170,000 people in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania suffered from depression. In a nationwide comparison, these figures are in a clear light: fewer depression were only documented in Saxony. On the contrary, federal states such as Saarland and Hamburg have much higher rates in terms of mental health.

women severely affected

A remarkable point is gender distribution in relation to depression. Women in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are affected with a quota of 14.3 percent more often than men, where the rate is 8.1 percent. The psychologist Sylvia Böhme from AOK Nordost attributed this to the fact that women often use help and talk more openly about symptoms. This could explain why they often have a lower suicide rate.

The study results underline the need to pay more attention to mental health, especially with regard to gender differences in the spread. This also means that support and resources have to be provided to help the affected groups.

regional differences and age groups

The distribution of depression diagnoses also shows significant differences between the counties. In Vorpommern-Rügen, the highest quota was determined with 12.1 percent, followed by Nordwestmecklenburg with 11.9 percent. In Rostock, on the other hand, the value is the lowest of 10.2 percent. In addition, an old -age scale leads to an alignment of frequencies, although younger people are usually less affected than older people. For example, only every 17th person between the ages of 30 and 34 reported depression, while it was more than every sixth among the over 80s.

The evaluation also emphasizes that the psychological stress increases with age. This is an important factor for health care that should not be ignored. The findings illustrate that both preventive and therapeutic measures must be planned in advance in order to achieve risk groups in good time.

sick reports under nursing staff

A particularly alarming result is the high sick reports in nurses. The numbers speak for themselves: 19 sick reports came to 100 specialist nurses due to depression. This value is four times above the average of all employees in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. This data is not only a snapshot, but also show a clear need for action in a professional area that is under enormous psychological pressure.

These knowledge about the high dismay of the nursing staff must also be taken into account in the political discussion in order to develop suitable measures to improve working conditions. It is clear that mental health in professions that require a lot of empathy and devotion often suffer.

Overall, the numbers and their analysis in the health atlas are of great importance. They show that depression must be taken seriously in society and that prevention and treatment approaches should focus more on. The detailed information is an important basis for planning further steps in the support of those affected. You can find more details here.