Discussion
As found in other studies, women sought treatment for depression more readily than men. For example, in a Canadian and US national survey, the ratio of females to males seeking treatment was 1.64–1.67:1, which is consistent with a previous national survey in Thailand where the ratio was 1.6:1.2,34,35 However, for our study, carried out in a university or provincial hospital setting, this ratio rose to 2.97:1, when hospitals are considered tertiary care settings where patients can access treatment either directly or via referral. This figure is similar to that reported for South Korea by Kim et al, who found a ratio of 2.91:1.36 This may be due to the fact that depressed Asian men are less likely to seek help than depressed Asian women.37–39 In addition, when comparing our age group results with those in that study, we found a similarly high proportion of elderly patients, ie, 18.8% (14.5% over 65 years of age) as compared with 16.7% (aged 65 years and over) in South Korea. The ratio found for this age group was, therefore, higher in this study than in previous Thai studies.