Depression in India
“Depression is a major health problem is a major public health problem in India, contributing to significant morbidity, disability as well as mortality, along with significant socioeconomic losses. Depressive disorders affect large numbers of children, adolescents, middle-aged groups and the elderly, both men and women, residing in urban and rural slums of India. Causes of depression in India include biological, social, economic, and cultural factors, which are triggered by environmental factors” (WHO, 2018).
This video is goes in detail about depression being the number one killer in India. It discusses factors that may lead to depression such as alcohol or drugs, which are prevalent in that area. Lack of awareness and resources also play a role in this issue. According to the WHO, the youth in India are the most depressed.
Depression is an epidemic of sorts. It could happen to somebody in your house, somebody in your college, somebody in your school. One in four adolescents are known to have depression by the time they reach the age of 25. How does a child learn how to manage disappointment? How to manage anger and aggression? This video goes in detail about these matters.
India accounts for nearly 18% of the world population. It accounted for 15% of global DALYs (disability adjusted life years) attributable to mental, neurological and substance use disorders (31 million DALYs) with depression, accounting for 37% (11.5 million DALYs) in 2013. The burden of depression, in terms of DALYs, increased by 67% between 1990 and 2013. By 2025, DALYs attributable to depression are projected to rise by roughly 2.6 million (22.5%) due to population growth and ageing.
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The problem is estimated to be much higher as per several population-based studies, with the prevalence of depression ranging from 1.8% to 39.6% Lack of uniformity across studies, with differences in nature of population, sample size, study instruments, assessment procedures and interpretation of findings, contribute to most of the variations.
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As per NMHS (2015-2016) in India, one in 20 (5.25% people over 18 years of age have ever suffered (at least once in their lifetime) from depression amounting to a total of over 45 million persons with depression in 2015.
(WHO, 2018).
The Burden of Depression in India is High
Over 5 Million People Suffer from Depression in India
Over five crore Indians suffered from depression, a major contributor to global suicides which occurred mainly in low- and middle-income countries like India in 2015, a WHO study has said. The World Health Organization in its new global health estimates on depression for 2015 said while over five crore Indians suffered from depression. The report titled ‘Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders — Global Health Estimates’ said over two-thirds of global suicides were in low- and middle-income countries like India in 2015. The total number of people living with depression in the world is 322 million. Nearly half of these people live in the South-East Asia Region and Western Pacific Region, reflecting the relatively larger populations of those two Regions which include India and China,” the document said. The total estimated number of people living with depression increased by 18.4% between 2005 and 2015, it said. According to WHO figures, the total cases of depressive disorders in 2015 in India were 5,66,75,969 which was 4.5% of population in 2015. India accounted for the highest estimated number of suicides in the world in 2012, according to a WHO report published in 2014 which found that one person commits suicide every 40 seconds globally. Read more from livemint about statistics of depression in India.
(PTI, 2017).
AGE, GENDER, AND URBAN DIFFERENTIALS
“A higher prevalence of depression among women and working age adults (aged 11,16,17,42
20–69 years) has been consistently reported by Indian studies. Depression is also common among the elderly. Several reasons are attributed to higher rates among women – biological and hormonal factors are found to =be playing a greater role amidst a wide array of social and economic factors. Findings from NMHS have shown consistently higher rates for females across all age groups and among those residing in urban metros as compared to their counterparts. Prevalence reached its peak in the adult age group, with above 3.5% in females and above 3% in males 5aged 40 and above (Fig. 2).NMHS also reported a glaring differential in household income for depression with the prevalence of current depression in the lowest income quintile group (3.4%) being almost twice the prevalence in the highest 5income quintile population (1.9%)” (WHO, 2018).
Age Differential
According to the World Health Organization, one in four children in the age group of 13-15 years in India suffer from depression, which affects 86 million people in South-East Asia region. Informing that India has the highest suicide rate among 10 South-East Asian countries, the WHO released "Mental Health Status of Adolescents in South-East Asia: Evidence for Action" report which said in 2012, the estimated suicide rate per 1 lakh (100,000) people in India, in the age group of 15-29 years, was 35.5. Noting that depression can lead to suicide, it is the second highest cause of death among people of age group 15-29 years in the region. Depression in the total population of India was 1,311.1 million, of which, adolescent (13-15 years) population was 75.5 million, which is 5.8 per cent of total population. (Press Trust of India, 2017). Seven per cent adolescents were found to be "bullied" and they felt disturbed due to comments of their peers, family members or teachers. 25 per cent of adolescent were "depressed" and "sad or hopeless" while 11 per cent were "distracted" and had a hard time staying focused on their work most of times or always, the report said. Eight per cent adolescents faced "anxiety" or could not sleep because of being worried while a similar percentage of adolescents felt lonely most of times or always, it said, adding 10.1 per cent of adolescents in India had no close friends. (DNA, 2017).
Gender Differential
Gender is a critical determinant of mental health and mental illness. The patterns of psychological distress and psychiatric disorder among women are different from those seen among men. Women have a higher mean level of internalizing disorders while men show a higher mean level of externalizing disorders. There is ongoing research on exploring potential causes and contributing factors to women's increased risk for depression. It is likely that genetic, biological, chemical, hormonal, environmental, psychological, and social factors all intersect to contribute to depression. (Bohra, Srivastava, & Bhatia, 2015). Gender differences occur particularly in the rates of common mental disorders wherein women predominate. Differences between genders have been reported in the age of onset of symptoms, clinical features, frequency of psychotic symptoms, course, social adjustment, and long-term outcome of severe mental disorders. Women who abuse alcohol or drugs are more likely to attribute their drinking to a traumatic event or a stressor and are more likely to have been sexually or physically abused than other women. Girls from nuclear families and women married at a very young age are at a higher risk for attempted suicide and self-harm. Social factors and gender specific factors determine the prevalence and course of mental disorders in female sufferers. Low attendance in hospital settings is partly explained by the lack of availability of resources for women. Around two-thirds of married women in India were victims of domestic violence. Concerted efforts at social, political, economic, and legal levels can bring change in the lives of Indian women and contribute to the improvement of the mental health of these women. (Malhotra & Shah, 2015).
Urban Differential
Urbanization brings with it a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. This demographic transition is accompanied by economic growth and industrialization, and by profound changes in social organization and in the pattern of family life. Urbanization affects mental health through the influence of increased stressors and factors such as overcrowded and polluted environment, high levels of violence, and reduced social support. (Srivastava, 2009)
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There was a study done to find the Prevalence of Depression in a Large Urban South Indian Population. This is the largest population-based study from India to report on prevalence of depression and shows that among urban south Indians, the prevalence of depression was 15.1%. Age, female gender and lower socio-economic status are some of the factors associated with depression in this population. (Poongothai et al, 2009).
Risk Factors for Depression in India
Relevant Articles
"Depression is one of the leading causes of suicide in India, which has become the second leading cause of death among young Indians" (Goel, 2018). This article written by Ishita Goel, goes into detail about why suicide is so prevalent in India and how stigma plays a role.
June 13, 2018
From depression to suicide: Why more Indians are falling into the trap
This article is a memoir written by Natasha, a 22-year-old student who was diagnosed with depression. She shares her insight on how alternative therapies such as yoga play a role in her treatment, as well as going to therapy. According to Natasha, "Pills help with the physical symptoms of depression, but they can only get you to a base level that enables you to to help yourself" (Desai, 2018).
June 18, 2018
How they are beating depression
"Depression as a disorder has always been a focus of attention of researchers in India. Over the last 50-60 years, large number of studies has been published from India addressing various aspects of this commonly prevalent disorder" (Grover, 2010). This article discusses why depression is such a huge problem in India, the causes, impacts, and risk factors of this issue, and so much more.
January 2010