Many opt not to seek treatment

FASHION GURU Kate Spade’s decision to refuse treatment for her depression is common among fellow sufferers who see some shame in admitting their affliction. “Some people don’t want to be identified as having a mental illness,” said Dr. David Roane, chairman of psychiatry at Lenox Hill Hospital. “They worry about how it looks to other people, and about their own self-esteem and self-worth. There’s a tremendous amount of stigma.” Spade, 55, was found hanging inside her Manhattan apartment early Tuesday. Her sister, in a letter released after the tragic death, revealed that Spade battled manic depression — and refused treatment for the illness. “She was definitely worried about what people would say if they found out,” said Reta Saffo. Roane said the saddest part of any patient opting to skip treatment is how treatable depression actually is. “There’s a broad range of treatments, from psychotherapy and medication to, in some cases, emergency treatment — taking a person to an emergency room to see if there are concerns about their immediate safety,” he said. “An intervention is a treatment.” Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year, according to the American Psychiatric Association. One in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life, with women more likely than men to struggle with the illness. Some studies show that onethird of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime, the psychiatric association reported. According to Roane, the more often the depression symptoms occur, the more likely they are to recur. In the case of Spade, her sister wrote about several inpatient hospitalizations to deal with the problem in the past several years. “Once you’ve had three episodes, there’s a very high risk of having the depression return,” said Roane. “After someone gets better initially, they should stay in treatment for another six to nine months, even when better.”