Medicosnext
Depression—a mental health disorder that negatively affects how a person feels, thinks, and acts— affects about 1 in 15 adults in any given year, with 1 in 6 experiencing it at some time in their life. About 3.4% of the world’s population has depression, which is characterized by:
• Sad, worthless, and guilty feeling
• Insomnia or sleeping too much
• Fatigue
• Difficulty thinking or concentrating
• No interest in activities once enjoyed
• Changes in appetite
• Slowed movements and speech
• Suicidal thoughts
Symptoms must last at least two weeks for it to be diagnosed as depression, and treatment options include anti-depressants, psychotherapy and/or cognitive behavioral therapy (often combined with anti-depressants), and electroconvulsive therapy for severe depression cases not responding to other treatments.
While Ukraine (6.3%), U.S.A (5.9%)., Estonia, Australia, Brazil, Greece, Portugal, Belarus, Finland, and Lithuania have the highest rates of depression, the countries with lowest rates are Solomon Islands (2.9%), Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Vanautu, Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa, Laos, NEPAL (3.2%), and the Philippines (3.3%).
According to the World Population Review, “countries with the lowest rates have just recently added mental health screening and treatment services to their health care infrastructure, which in part, could explain the reason for the low depression rates.” Conversely, countries with quality mental health care services could have high rates.
