A group of primary care physicians has formed the Disease Management for Depression Group to fight the 'hidden menace'.

The initiative, called 'Because You Can', has the support of Lundbeck Institute, Denmark, and is the first campaign against depression in the GCC. The campaign follows unsettling statistics which show that around 380,000 people in the UAE are suffering from depression.

According to psychologists, with a huge expatriate community living away from their families, the prevalence of depression in the country is estimated at 10 per cent of the population.

It affects more women than men, according to Dr Amer Saadeddin, a Specialist Psychiatrist at Dubai Community Health Centre. But he said that unlike asthma, heart problems and hypertension, depression is a 'hidden menace' largely left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and therefore untreated.

Awareness and education among both patients and doctors are key to treatment. The good news is that depression is treatable. Like any other diseases, successful treatment for depression – which the WHO now recognises as a serious mental illness – relies on proper diagnosis.

Unfortunately, primary care physicians frequently do not diagnose depression accurately, said Dr Saadeddin, citing a study which reveals that only 43 per cent of depressed patients were recognised as such by their primary doctors.

'Because You Can' aims to provide the necessary tools for primary-care physicians to recognise and treat depression.

"Primary care physicians should be able to diagnose depression which is one of the objectives of the programme. Educating the people working in the medical field is a primary concern," added Dr Saadeddin.

'Because You Can' seeks to promote public awareness of the disorder through seminars, the media and interactive online information.

The organisation will also give training to primary care physicians and patient information support in the region. Hands-on tools to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of depression will also be made available for physicians.

"Early detection of the disorder can prevent a lot of suffering. Depression is a disabling disease that has huge economic and social impact on the life of the sufferer," stressed Dr Saadeddin.

Depression affects one in four women and one in 10 men at some point in their lives. It also affects one in 50 children under 12 and one in 20 teenagers.

The disorder often goes unrecognised and untreated because of the stigma attached to depression that may present a barrier to diagnosis.

The people behind 'Because You Can' include government and private institutions who recognise that the failure of health care professionals to detect depression may be due to inadequate training in recognising the illness.

The issues concerning depression with its negative economic impact – in terms of reduced productivity – could be properly addressed through the disease management programmes, said Dr Saadeddin.

"The wider public should face the fact that there is a big problem called depression. The stigma attached to depression is still there which is why the programme encourages the person to consult someone," advised Dr Saadeddin.