Depression is worse than asthma, diabetes or angina

8 September, 2007

Depression does more harm to a person’s wellness than physical diseases such as asthma, angina or diabetes.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which examined data on 250,000 patients in 60 countries, has warned that depression has a far greater impact on public health than previously thought.

Researchers found that, on an average, 3.2% of those surveyed had experienced depression over a one-year period.

The results of a quality-of-life index called the ‘global mean health score’ showed that depression was, by a significant margin, the most difficult to bear.

The study by WHO found that, on a scale of zero to 100 – with zero indicating worst health and 100 indicating best – sufferers of depression had an average score of 72.9.

This compared with ‘better’ scores of 80.3 for asthmatics, 79.6 for angina sufferers, 79.3 for arthritis sufferers, and 78.9 for those with diabetes.

In the United Kingdom, around 1 in 4 adults will suffer from depression in their lifetime.

Previous studies have ranked depression as having the biggest disabling effect of any disease worldwide.

The mental disorder often comes hand-in-hand with other chronic illnesses. And, as the world’s population lives longer, it is expected to become more and more common.

In 2000, scientists had rated depression as having the fourth greatest public health impact. But, by 2020, they predict that depression will have risen to
become the second leading cause of disease burden.

At some point in their life, it is estimated that around 1 in every 5 women and 1 in every 10 men will suffer from depression.

The WHO study says that depression accounts for the greatest share of non-fatal disease burden, accounting for almost 12% of total years lived with disability worldwide.

Dr Somnath Chatterji, who led the WHO study, said its findings demonstrated the urgent need to improve treatment for depression.

“When people come for treatment for long-term chronic diseases,” Dr Chatterji added, “doctors tend to focus mainly on the physical diseases; they are not looking for depression. This study reinforces the importance of recognizing and treating depression as a part of chronic illness because it is a much more effective way to improve people’s health than just dealing with chronic physical illness. Treatment of mental illness is a necessity, not a luxury.”

The details of WHO’s research – the first global study comparing the impact of depression and chronic physical illnesses – have been published in the British medical journal The Lancet.