Doctors are often blamed for underdiagnosing depression and anxiety-related disorders, but a study highlights one challenge: overcoming patients' beliefs about how "normal" their experiences are. (click below to read more)
In a survey of 144 adults, about 10% estimated that half the population felt "depressed, sad, blue, tearful" at least 15 days per month. On the other end of the spectrum, 10% believed the frequency was two days or fewer. There was similar disagreement about anxiety.
Such opinions shaped self-diagnoses: One person felt extremely sad fully 10 days a month but was unsure whether he was depressed—no doubt because the subject believed two-thirds of people experienced similar symptoms that often.
One implication: People in geographic areas or demographic groups prone to depression are less likely to seek treatment, the authors said: They see debilitating sadness or anxiety as the norm.
"Am I Abnormal: Relative Rank and Social Norm Effects in Judgments of Anxiety and Depression Symptom Severity," Karen L. Melrose, Gordon D.A. Brown, and Alex M. Wood, Journal of Behavioral Decision Making
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