TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Up to 73% of Taiwanese 50 and older struggling with depression have failed to seek medical intervention, a rate that is worrying medical experts.

According to a study by the National Health Research Institute, about 1,253 out of 7,675 residents aged 50 and older were found to show symptoms of depression, or 16.3%. Among them, only 27% have sought treatment and 11% have seen their condition improve, wrote CNA.

The results paint an alarming picture of the country’s middle-aged and senior population with mental illnesses, said Wu Chi-shin (吳其炘), a scientist involved in the research. Those with depression are 2.6 to 2.9 times more likely to experience frailty and the mood disorder could lead to doubled or tripled mortality rates, Wu added.

Taiwan has increased the availability of psychiatric clinics and mental health services at community levels, with facilities accessible within a 30-minute trip for 86.1% of the general public currently. Failure to look for help could be attributed to inadequate knowledge about depression or the fear of being stigmatized, Wu pointed out.

Individuals more willing to see a doctor include females, the well-educated, the retired/unemployed, people who exercise regularly, and those that participate in clubs or social activities. Factors that may render people less likely to seek intervention include being widowed, divorced, separated from one’s spouse, not married, and drinking alcohol, the study has found.

Hsu Chih-cheng (許志成), executive director of the National Center for Geriatrics and Welfare Research, observed that a senior patient had lost over ten kilograms without a known cause until their diagnosis of depression. He urged improved public awareness of the mental condition for timely medical support, wrote Liberty Times.