New estimates from WHO highlight how common depression and anxiety are globally.
Over 300 million people globally are estimated to suffer from depression, equivalent to 4.4% of the world’s population. Depression is more common among females (5.1%) than males (3.6%).
The proportion of the global population with anxiety disorders in 2015 is estimated to be 3.6%. Anxiety disorders are also more common among females than males (4.6% compared to 2.6% at the global level).
Depression and anxiety impact on the mood or feelings of affected persons. Depressive disorders are characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration. Anxiety disorders are characterized by feelings of anxiety and fear. Symptoms of depression and anxiety can range from mild to severe and the duration from months to years.
According to a recent WHO study [Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders, WHO - 2017], it is estimated that in Bangladesh, 4.1% of the population (total cases 6 391 760) has depression, and 4.4% (total cases 6 900 212) has anxiety disorder. Common mental disorders lead to considerable losses in health and functioning. Depression and anxiety account for 7.1% and 4.0% respectively of the total years of life lived with disability in Bangladesh
Depression and anxiety can be treated. Therefore, it is important to reduce stigma of mental health disorders to enable more people to seek help.
This year, the theme of World Health Day, marked on April 7th, is Depression: Let’s Talk. For more information on depression and the WHO estimates:
