Cognitive dysfunction in depression: are important symptoms of depression going unnoticed and untreated?

http://goo.gl/tWFtwV

Results from a new survey found that almost all people diagnosed with depression (99%) have experienced at least one symptom of cognitive dysfunction during an episode of depression. Furthermore, the survey indicates that these symptoms can have an enormous effect on an individual's working life; with one in six of those suffering from cognitive dysfunction in depression reporting that symptoms have caused them to lose their job (15%).* Cognitive functions influence every aspect of our lives and are responsible for how we learn, remember, problem-solve and make decisions. Those who suffer from cognitive dysfunction will experience problems in these essential brain-based skills, which will impact upon their education, work, and personal life.[i]

The survey, written in collaboration with Depression Alliance and funded by Lundbeck Ltd., set out to explore the impact of cognitive dysfunction on everyday lives of British adults diagnosed with depression. The most common cognitive symptoms reported by patients were difficulty concentrating (91%), slowed thought processing (84%) and difficulty with planning and organising (79%). Although these findings indicate that cognitive dysfunction impacts the vast majority of those suffering from depression, only half of those surveyed said that they had ever been asked about their cognitive symptoms by a healthcare professional (HCP) (50%). As improving cognitive symptoms during an episode of depression can significantly improve the chance of a functional recovery from depression, these results suggest a large number of patients could be missing out on treatment for an incredibly important aspect of their disorder.[ii],[iii]