Indians are World's Most Depressed People: Report

July 27, 2011

Indians are World's Most Depressed People: Report

London - Jul 27, 2011

Indians are the world's most depressed people with nearly 36 per cent suffering from Major Depressive Episode (MDE), the cluster of symptoms of depression, according to a WHO-sponsored study.

The study found that people living in wealthier nations like Netherlands, France and the US were less happy and more depressed than those in poorer ones.

Netherlands with an average 33.6 per cent cases of MDE came second while France and US were placed on third and fourth positions with 32.3 per cent and 30.9 per cent cases respectively.

In India, around 9 per cent of people reported having an extended period of depression within their lifetime and nearly 36 per cent suffered from MDE.

The average age of depression in India is 31.9 years compared to 18.8 years in China, and 22.7 years in the US.

The study, published in the BMC Medicine journal, is based on interviews of more than 89,000 people in 18 different countries.

One in seven people (15 per cent) in high-income countries is likely to get depression over their lifetime, compared with one in nine (11 per cent) in middle- and low-income countries, the study says.

MDE is characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor concentration, besides feeling depressed.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/india/36489-indians-worlds-most-depressed-people-report.html

WHO ranks depression as the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide and projects that by 2020, it will be the second leading cause.

Women are twice as likely to suffer depression as men and the loss of a partner, whether from death or divorce, was a main factor, the study reveals.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36489

Depression affects over 120 million people worldwide. It can interfere with a person's ability to work, make relationships difficult, and destroy quality of life. In severe cases it leads to suicide, causing 850,000 deaths a year.

source: http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?729106

 
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These type of surveys are no less than jokes for a big country like India.In 2007 they published a report that Indian Youths are most happiest in world and now in 4 years Indians are most depressed ..83 billion india lives in village does this survey even covered them or they just hand picked few people in Delhi ,Mumbai etc

Count me in... *sigh* now! that makes it 37% of Indians are depressed. Not really! People of rural India have no time to get depressed or they would die of hunger...

The first 2 sentences seem to contradict each other, unless we are now calling India a wealthy nation.

I remember how people used to say that the Indians are poor, but they are very happy because they are so very spiritual. I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now. Living below the poverty level is not fun. Being happy when you're hungry and your children are hungry is no fun. No matter how spiritual you are, those are depressing.

I am not starving and I am not depressed.

Being poor does not mean that you are starving.A farmer may be poor but he may have enough of its own produce to feed its family .A lot of poor people are happy because they just live in present ,no worry of future no juggling of finance or anything just faith in god.It could have positive and negative effect on one's life