Talk about depression on World Health Day

Talk about depression on World Health Day
By Euronews with World Health Organisation
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button

The World Health Organisation invites us to use World Health Day on 7 April to talk about depression, the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide.

ADVERTISEMENT

This year’s World Health Day on 7 April will be dedicated to the subject of depression.

The goal is to encourage sufferers to talk about their experience, and to seek help. Depression is often a hidden illness, but it can impact on people’s ability to carry out even simple tasks, and in the most serious cases, can lead to death by suicide.

#Depression is a major challenge to health in the European Region & the focus of World Health Day 7 April #LetsTalkhttps://t.co/k8wt6hiNwxpic.twitter.com/gJVv8h9jvA

— WHO/Europe (@WHO_Europe) April 4, 2017

This simple video explains the condition using Winston Churchill’s metaphor of a black dog:

However, depression and anxiety can be prevented and treated, and a series of campaigns across the world are encouraging people to look out for their friends.

1 in 4 of us will fight a mental health problem this year. So, if your mate’s acting differently, step in. Share our film #inyourcornerpic.twitter.com/dv0moT5Y52

— Time to Change (@TimetoChange) February 23, 2017

“Let’s talk about depression”

The campaign “Let’s talk about depression” has been launched by the WHO to tackle the issue and remove its stigma.

The number of people with #depression is increasing. People of all ages suffer from it. #LetsTalk about depression https://t.co/PzKn93ZBXopic.twitter.com/1gYNir6rNq

— WHO (@WHO) February 23, 2017

Latest statistics

322 million people, or about 4.4% of the global population, were suffering from depression in 2015 according to the latest statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The incidence was higher amongst women (5.1%) than men (3.6%), and older people were more susceptible than young people and children.

The total number of people living with depressive disorders has increased by 18.4% over the ten years since 2005, reflecting overall population growth, particularly in the most vulnerable age groups.

Similar trends are apparent for anxiety disorders, from which an estimated 264 million people, or 3.6% of the global population, were suffering in 2015, again predominantly women. This represents an increase of 14.9% over ten years.

Regional and national variations

Rates of depression and anxiety disorders vary considerably between countries and regions.

Within the WHO’s European region, in 2015 Ukraine had the highest percentage of its population suffering from a depressive disorder, at 6.3%, whilst Iceland and Kyrgyzstan had the lowest rates, at 4.1%.

Suicide

In 2015, an estimated 788,000 died by committing suicide, although many more attempted to do so.

In that year, suicide became one of the 20 leading causes of death, accounting for nearly 1.5% of of the worldwide toll. Amongst 15-29 year-olds, it was the second most common cause of death.

Suicide rate varies by region and gender. For example, amongst females in the low- and middle-income countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and American regions, suicides are about 5 per 100,000 heads of population. However, amongst men in high-income countries, suicides occur at a rate as high as 20 per 100,000.

definitions

The WHO report defines depressive disorders as being:

characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration. Depression can be long-lasting or recurrent, substantially impairing an individual’s ability to function at work or school or cope with daily life. At its most severe, depression can lead to suicide.

The report then goes on to identify the two main sub-categories: major depressive disorders, which are severe and intense; and dysthymia, which is a chronic form of mild depression.

Anxiety disorders are defined in the report as referring to:

a group of mental disorders characterized by feelings of anxiety and fear, including generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As with depression, symptoms can range from mild to severe. The duration of symptoms typically experienced by people with anxiety disorders makes it more a chronic than episodic disorder.

Share this articleComments

You might also like

Israel trying to clear Palestinians from Gaza, claims UN agency head

WHO warns Europe it will face challenges as number of pensioners to jump by 25% in coming decades

Tired, overworked and underpaid: Why doctors across Europe are going on strike