SVMC Community Health Needs Assessment 2021 - Catalog - Page 48
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Mental health
SVMC’s survey additionally asked about challenges with particularly conditions, including mental health
diagnoses. Responses indicated a high prevalence of depressive feelings (described in the survey as
persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness). Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide
and can have lasting impacts on sleep and eating habits, ability to work and concentrate, and general
ability to function and enjoy life.52
Review of secondary data indicates that the depressive disorder diagnosis rate does not mimic the selfreports of depression resulting from SVMC’s community health survey; this could be the result of:
•
•
•
underdiagnosis of depression, potentially reflective of individuals unable or resistant to seeking
mental health care (i.e. the reported diagnoses in the secondary data should be higher)
erroneous self-diagnosis of depression amongst survey respondents (i.e. the self-reports of
challenges with depression in SVMC’s survey should be lower)
the rate of depression has risen due to COVID-19 and other large-scale traumatic events (i.e.,
the reported diagnoses in secondary data have not yet caught up to the increase and will
eventually be higher).
Each of the above is likely a factor, with other external forces contributing to the discrepancy.
Adults with a Depressive Disorder53,54,55
County
Bennington County
Windham County
Berkshire County
Washington County
Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County
Percent of adults with a Depressive
Disorder (age adjusted prevalence)
22%
28%
Unavailable
16.2%
14.8%
11.7%
State
Vermont 21%
Massachusetts 18.1%
New York 15.5%
Survey respondent quote:
“If I could do one thing to improve my health, it would be access to the specialists I need
and elimination of the depression I feel all the time. That would require things beyond my
control, too: close friends, supportive family, a place in the community, meaningful and
enjoyable activities, and a sense of safety.”
52
World Health Organization. Depression: Overview. https://www.who.int/health-topics/depression#tab=tab_1
Vermont Department of Health in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System: 2018 Report.
https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/HSVR_2018_BRFSSReport.pdf
54 Office of Data Management and Outcomes Assessment: Massachusetts Department of Public Health in collaboration with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Profile of Health Among Massachusetts Adults, 2018: Results from the Behavioral
Risk Factor Surveillance System. https://www.mass.gov/doc/a-profile-of-health-among-massachusetts-adults-2018/download
55 New York State Department of Health in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Health Indicators by County and Region. https://health.data.ny.gov/Health/Behavioral-RiskFactor-Surveillance-System-BRFSS-H/jsy7-eb4n
53
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
Community Health Needs Assessment 2021