Indians are depressed: WHO

Jul 27, 2011 |

Agencies

New Delhi

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A World Health Organisation backed study has claimed that India has a higher rate of depression than any other country.

The study, ‘Cross-national epidemiology of DSM-IV major depressive episode,’ revealed that nearly 36 per cent of Indians suffered from Major Depressive Episodes (MDE). To be diagnosed with MDE, a subject has to qualify for five of nine symptoms, which include indicators such as appetite, sleep, mood, lack of concentration and suicidal thoughts.

Neighbouring China has the lowest MDE with 12 per cent.

It was also found that average percentage of MDE was considerably higher in higher-income countries at 28.1 percent, compared to 19.8 percent in the low-to middle-income countries.

Nearly 90,000 subjects were interviewed for the study, across 18 countries and different income groups. The research has been published in the journal BMC Medicine.

The US, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Mexico, Ukraine and Spain, Germany, Lebanon, Mexico, and South Africa were included in the study.

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