According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), depression is a common mental disorder that is the leading cause of disability and the major contributor to the global burden of disease. By 2020 WHO predicts that depression increases to the number two contributor to global burden of disease.

Who’d have known?

Depression is common, affecting about 121 million people worldwide. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Depression can be reliably diagnosed and treated in primary care. Fewer than 25 percent of those affected have access to effective remedies. So what’s Depression? Depression is a common mental disorder that manifests itself in the shape of depressed mood, a loss of enjoyment of living, low self esteem, inability to sleep properly, loss of appetite, low levels of energy, and poor concentration.

It affects people of all ages and from all backgrounds. Some experience acute symptoms and are not able to function day to day and deaths account for around eight hundred and fifty million lives yearly.

So who’s most at risk?

The statistics indicate that women are more vulnerable to depression than men. Approximately one in six women will experience depression at some point in their lives while men have a one in four chance. There are variables that affect on women that lead to depression like child birth (post natal depression), hormone changes and the multiple roles women have in day to day life (such as raising children, running a house and holding down a job, all at exactly the exact same time). Among the known problems with the numbers is that guys are known to be less inclined to find support for their depression.

The social stigma placed on men prevents them from seeking help and the numbers might be skewed. Many men consider depression as a weakness, or they perceive others to do this and therefore they are reluctant to step forward and acknowledge their illness. Although this is advancing now, there are still millions of men who don’t present for support.

Children

Children who experience depression are more likely to have a family history of this disorder. Often among those parents will have experienced depression at some point in their lives. Adolescence is a time when depression appears to influence a larger number of people, especially women. They also have a higher than normal likelihood to have a family history of depression although not to the same extent as kids.

What are the Risk Factors?

A range of factors have been recognized as increasing the risk of contracting melancholy. These include such things as anxiety, marriage separation, relationship break down, a loss of a loved one, beginning of chronic illness like diabetes, abuse or neglect or any other traumatic event. Depression is a major psychological disorder that is prevalent everywhere, in all ages, genders and races. There appears to be a higher incidence in women but the numbers might be somewhat misleading. There are numerous known contributing factors, including family history of the illness.