New Delhi: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that depression is a major cause of disability and the condition can strike anyone- from old to young.
An estimated 322 million people suffered depressive disorders in 2015, a rise of 18.4 percent in a decade, as people live longer, the United Nations agency said in a report.
Global economic losses exceed $1 trillion a year, it said, referring to lost productivity due to apathy or lack of energy that lead to an inability to function at work or cope with daily life.
"Depression is the single largest contributor to years lived with disability. So it`s the top cause of disability in the world today," Dr. Dan Chisholm of WHO`s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse told a news briefing.
Depression is 1.5 times more common among women than men, he said.
A further 250 million people suffer anxiety disorders, including phobias, panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive behaviour and post-traumatic stress disorder, the report said.
Some 80 percent of those stricken with mental illness live in low- and middle-income countries.
(With Reuters inputs)
