WHO Study revealed 36% Indians suffered from Major Depressive Episode (MDE)

World Health Organization-sponsored study on Major Depressive Episode (MDE) published in the BMC Medicine journal revealed that Indians are among the world’s most depressed. 9% of people in India reported having an extended period of depression within their lifetime, nearly 36% suffered from what is called Major Depressive Episode (MDE).

Lowest prevalence of MDE was in China (12%). The average age of depression in India is 31.9 years compared to 18.8 years in China, and 22.7 years in the US. Increased stress, lonely lives and the falling apart of the social support systems like joint families was cited as a major cause of growing depression among Indians.

The study based on interviews of more than 89000 people in 18 different countries by 20 different researchers stated that depression affects nearly 121 million people worldwide. It is the second contributor to shorter lifespan for individuals in the 15-44 age group.

The percentage of respondents, who had lifetime MDE was higher in high-income (28.1%) than in low to middle-income (19.8%) countries. When it came to lifetime prevalence rates of depression, France (21%) and the US (19.2%) reported the highest rates of depression. Women, according to the study are twice as likely to suffer depression as men and the loss of a partner, whether from death or divorce, was a main factor, the study reveals.

According to the study, the average lifetime and 12-month prevalence estimates of MDE were 14.6% and 5.5% in the 10 high-income and 11.1% and 5.9% in the eight low to middle-income countries. The average age of onset ascertained retrospectively was 25.7 in the high-income and 24 in low to middle income countries. The female: male ratio was about 2:1.

About MDE

MDE is characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor concentration, besides feeling depressed. This is the feeling of tremendous helplessness, and worthlessness. Planned suicide is the highest among those suffering from MDE. Those suffering from MDE don’t have the strength to conduct day-to-day chores and become dysfunctional.

WHO ranked depression as the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide and projected that by 2020, it will be the second leading cause.