National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 revealed that nearly 15% Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues and one in 20 Indians suffers from depression. It is estimated that in 2012, India had over 258 000 suicides, with the age-group of 15-49 years being most affected.
Depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. People with severe mental health conditions die prematurely-
1 in every 8 people in the world lives with a mental disorder or 970 million across the world (WHO).
Depression is a mood disorder.
The individual must be experiencing five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period and at least one of the symptoms should be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
Depressed Mood
☆ Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities.
☆ Weight loss, weight gain, or apatite increase or decrease
☆ A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement
☆ Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
☆ Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
☆ A diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
☆ Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, a suicide attempt, or a specific plan for committing suicide.
