Depression

Symptoms:

  • feeling sad, irritable or empty

  • loss of interest in pleasures

  • poor concentration

  • feelings of excessive guilt or low self-worth

  • hopelessness about the future

  • thoughts about dying or suicide

  • disrupted sleep

  • changes in appetite or weight

  • feeling very tired or low in energy

Stats:

  • Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression

  • Depression is about 50% more common among women than among men

  • More than 700 000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15–29-year-olds.

  • Globally, an estimated 5% of adults suffer from depression.

“Depression results from a complex interaction of social, psychological, and biological factors. People who have gone through adverse life events (unemployment, bereavement, traumatic events) are more likely to develop depression. Depression can, in turn, lead to more stress and dysfunction and worsen the affected person’s life situation and the depression itself.”
— WHO (2023)

Information obtained from the World Health Organization (2023) Depressive disorder (depression)