Depression Disorder
The symptoms of depression differ from usual sadness or mood changes that people experience in their everyday lives.
People with Major Depression Disorder experience depressed mood for almost all day or all day & everyday or almost everyday, & experience severely diminished interest/pleasure in all or almost all activities.
Interesting research findings:
In nowadays, the aggregate prevalence of depression in rural versus urban areas is no longer found significantly different.
Two possible reasons might be the following:
- people who live in urban areas have now easier access into mental health information due to technology expansion;
- people who live in urban areas have now easier access to mental health settings (Lim et al., 2018).
Both of these facts imply that people who live in urban areas are more likely today than in the past to be included in studies’ samples about depression (Lim et al., 2018).
Moreover, the increased use of screen time used on internet is consistently associated with increased symptoms of depression (Stiglic & Viner, 2018) and therefore might partially explain the elevated aggregate prevalence of depression in urban areas.
Depression: Prevalence and symptoms
Depression is a leading worldwide cause of illness burden and is the 4th leading cause of disability of all ages according to the World Health Organization, while projected estimates suggest that in 2020 depression will be the 2nd leading cause of disability worldwide (World Health Organization [WHO], 2001). Based on the meta-analytic study of Lim, Tam, Lu, Ho, Zhang, & Ho, (2018), which statistically analysed the results of epidemiological studies from the five continents, published between April 1994 - June 2014, the aggregate prevalence in U.S. was found approximately 14,7% and in Europe approximately 17,9%.
Prevalence varies across countries and studies, however, another recent meta-analytic study, which included in statistical analysis the results of 79 cross-sectional studies, from all five continents, published between 1994 - 2016, reports that on average the prevalence of Major Depression Disorder (MDD) and subthreshold depression symptoms (subthreshold depression symptoms: persistent symptoms of depression that cause social dysfunction but do not meet criteria for diagnoses of depression) was found as high as 27% (Wang et al., 2017).
MDD occurs significantly more among women than among men, whereas significantly higher at risk of depression are the age groups 30-40, elderly population and people who suffer from chronic physical illnesses. Although occurrence of depression and subthreshold depressive symptomatology in younger population (<30 years old) is found to be the lowest, prevalence is still as high as 20% (Wang et al. 2017).
The symptoms of depression differ from usual sadness or mood changes that people experience in their everyday lives (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020). People with Major Depression Disorder experience 1. depressed mood for almost all day or all day and everyday or almost everyday, or/and 2. experience severely diminished interest/pleasure in all or almost all activities that used to enjoy, as well as at least 3 additional symptoms (if symptom 1 and 2 coexist) or at least 4 additional symptoms (if either symptom 1 or only symptom 2 exist) from the following: significant weight loss or weight gain (more than 5% in a month), insomnia or hyperisomnia, fatigue, psychomotor retardation, agitation, inability to concentrate, inappropriate guilt, feelings of worthlessness (DSM-5).
Symptoms of depression may also include anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure), avolition (diminished volition), alogia (diminished speech) and flattened affect. In addition, Major Depression may be presented with psychotic features (DSM-5).
The assessment of symptoms and diagnosis of depression require mental health clinical expertise. Depending on the severity of depression, treatment may involve from psychoeducational interventions to low or high intensity psychological intervention, medication and combined therapy for patients with chronic physical illnesses. Apostolia Alizioti, B.Sc. (Psychol), M.Sc. (Health Psychol), M.B.A., GBC member of the British Psychological Society.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) Washington, DC; London, England: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Lim, G. Y., Tam, W. W., Lu, Y., Ho, C. S., Zhang, M. W., & Ho, R. C. (2018). Prevalence of depression in the community from 30 Countries between 1994 and 2014. Scientific Reports, 8(2861). doi:10.1038/s41598-018-21243-x
Stiglic, Ν. & Viner, Ρ. Μ. (2019 ). Effects of screentime on the health and well-being of children and adolescents: a systematic review of reviews. BMJ Open 9(e023191), 1-15. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2018-023191
Wang, J. (2017). Prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms among outpatients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Medical Journal, 7(8). doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017173
World Health Organization. (2001). The world health report 2001. Mental Health. New Understanding. New Hope. Geneva WHO. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/whr/2001/en
World Health Organization. (2020). Depression. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
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