Depression Accounts For 6% Of Mental Illness In Country: Experts

Depression accounts for six percent of mental illness in Pakistan, health experts said here on Thursday

KARACHI, Oct 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 05th Oct, 2017 ) : Depression accounts for six percent of mental illness in Pakistan, health experts said here on Thursday. They were of the view that increasing depression rate is accounting for issues like economic, insecurity, political uncertainty, unemployment, stressful working conditions, gender discrimination and disruption of the social settings.

Talking to media to mark World Mental Health Day, Dr. Iqbal Afridi, President Elect Pakistan Psychiatry Society and Head of Psychiatry Department Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) said that depression is becoming a common global issue especially in developing countries.

`Depression is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease and affects people in all communities across the world. Today, depression is estimated to affect 350 million people', he added.

Moreover, almost one million lives are lost yearly due to suicide, which translates to 3,000 suicide deaths every day. In fact, depression is the leading cause of disease burden for women in high-income and low- and middle-income countries.

Dr. Raza ur Rehman, Head of Psychiatry Department Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) said that a depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things.

Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years, he added. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from depression.

Depressive disorders often start at a young age; they reduce people's functioning and often are recurring.

For these reasons, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide in terms of total years lost due to disability, he further stated. Research in developing countries suggests that maternal depression may be a risk factor for poor growth in young children.

This risk factor could mean that maternal mental health in low-income countries may have a substantial influence on growth during childhood, with the effects of depression affecting not only this generation but also the next.

Dr. Naim Siddiqi, consultant Psychiatrist at AKUH and SUIT, said that depression is a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, decreased energy, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, and poor concentration.

These problems can become chronic or recurrent and lead to substantial impairments in an individual's ability to take care of his or her everyday responsibilities. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide.

He said managing depression is very significant part of patient's life that transforms the whole society in peaceful environment. Depression is a disorder that can be reliably diagnosed and treated in Primary care.

Preferable treatment options consist of basic psychosocial support combined with antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy or problem-solving treatment, he added.