PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Depression second leading cause of global disability burden

2013-11-06
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Fiona Godwin
medicinepress@plos.org
Public Library of Science
Depression second leading cause of global disability burden A study published this week in PLOS Medicine reports the most recent and comprehensive estimates on how much death and disability is attributable to depression, both world-wide and in individual countries and regions.

Rates and ranking among all causes of disability varied by country and by region. The rates are highest in Afghanistan and lowest in Japan, and depression ranks first in Central America and Central and Southeast Asia. Disability from depression affects mostly people in their working years, and women more than men.

To arrive at the estimates, the authors of the study, led by Alize Ferrari from the University of Queensland and the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, compiled relevant information from all published research studies on major depressive disorder (MDD, also called clinical depression), and dysthymia, a milder chronic form of depression.

They then used mathematical tools to estimate a standard measure of disease burden: "disability-adjusted life years", or DALYs, calculated by adding together "years lived with a disability", or YLDs and "years lost because of disease-specific premature death" or YLLs. For some countries and regions, especially low-income countries, few studies had been published, and the researchers had to substitute actual numbers with reasonable estimates to calculate YLDs and DALYs.

When compared to other diseases and injuries, MDD ranked as the second leading cause of global disability (or YLDs) and eleventh leading cause of global burden (or DALYs) in 2010. However, MDD also contributes to mortality for a number of other conditions. When the researchers added DALYs attributable to MDD for two of them, namely suicide and ischemic heart disease, MDD ranked as the eighth leading cause of global burden.

Their results, the researchers say "not only highlight the fact that depressive disorders are a global health priority but also that it is important to understand variations in burden by disorder, country, region, age, sex, and year when setting global health objectives."

### Funding: AJF, FJC, HAW are affiliated with the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, which obtains funding from the Queensland Department of Health. REN, GF, CJLM, and TV received funding for the Global Burden of Disease project from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Citation: Ferrari AJ, Charlson FJ, Norman RE, Patten SB, Freedman G, et al. (2013) Burden of Depressive Disorders by Country, Sex, Age, and Year: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. PLoS Med 10(11): e1001547. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001547

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FREELY AVAILABLE PAPER:

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001547

Contact: Alize J Ferrari
University of Queensland
AUSTRALIA
61732718687
alize_ferrari@qcmhr.uq.edu.au


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Syphilis screening and treatment in pregnancy may be cost-effective in sub-Saharan Africa

2013-11-06
Syphilis screening and treatment in pregnancy may be cost-effective in sub-Saharan Africa Screening and treating pregnant women in sub Saharan Africa for syphilis* may be a cost-effective use of resources, according to a study published in this week's PLOS Medicine. The ...

Testosterone therapy following angiography associated with increased risk of adverse outcome

2013-11-06
Testosterone therapy following angiography associated with increased risk of adverse outcome Among a group of men who underwent coronary angiography and had a low serum testosterone level, the use of testosterone therapy was associated with increased risk of ...

Study examines effect of sleep deficiency and possible surgical complications

2013-11-06
Study examines effect of sleep deficiency and possible surgical complications Surgeons who had operated the night before an elective daytime gallbladder surgery did not have a higher rate of complications, according to a study in the November 6 issue ...

Intervention does not improve depression symptoms

2013-11-06
Intervention does not improve depression symptoms Among depressed patients evaluated in a primary care setting, use of an interactive multimedia computer program immediately prior to a primary care visit resulted in the increased receipt of antidepressant ...

Autoantibodies found in blood years before symptom onset of autoimmune disease

2013-11-06
Autoantibodies found in blood years before symptom onset of autoimmune disease Autoantibodies are present many years before symptom onset in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome, an autoimmune disease, according to a Research Letter published in ...

Male lizards prefer more-feminine lizards to 'bearded ladies,' new research finds

2013-11-06
Male lizards prefer more-feminine lizards to 'bearded ladies,' new research finds Which females do male lizards find to be the sexiest? Tracy Langkilde, an associate professor of biology at Penn State University, and Lindsey Swierk, a graduate student in Langkilde's lab, ...

Increased cardiovascular risk in men using testosterone therapy prompts warning

2013-11-06
Increased cardiovascular risk in men using testosterone therapy prompts warning PHILADELPHIA - Men taking testosterone therapy had a 29 percent greater risk of death, heart attack and stroke according to a study of a "real world" population ...

Just a few years of early musical training benefits the brain later in life

2013-11-06
Just a few years of early musical training benefits the brain later in life Older adults who took music lessons during childhood are faster at responding to speech Washington, DC – Older adults who took music lessons as children but haven't actively played an ...

Japanese superfood prevents flu infection

2013-11-06
Japanese superfood prevents flu infection Scientists have discovered that bacteria found in a traditional Japanese pickle can prevent flu. Could this be the next superfood? The research, which assesses the immune-boosting powers of Lactobacillus brevis from Suguki – a ...

Peak production of rhythmic proteins occurs at 2 times of day

2013-11-06
Peak production of rhythmic proteins occurs at 2 times of day Sleep disorders are reported to affect 50 to 70 million Americans, and have been linked to obesity and diabetes, as well as depression and other psychiatric disorders. Circadian cycles are driven by biological ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Not hunters but collectors: the bone that challenges the ‘humans wiped out Australian megafauna’ theory

Discovery of new mechanism concerning plasma confinement performance

Humans evolved fastest amongst the apes

Biochar and wetter soils offer breakthrough path to slash farm emissions without cutting crop yields

New biochar-enhanced cement could lock away more carbon dioxide

Strong evidence supports skin-to-skin contact after birth as standard care

Why it’s not just about money: Who goes to the ballet, opera and symphony

Daily step counts of 4,000 or more tied to reduced risk of heart disease, mortality in older women

Number of steps taken matters more for better health in older women than the frequency

Less than half of schoolkids at risk of food anaphylaxis in England prescribed adrenaline ‘antidote’

The Lancet: Antidepressants vary widely in their physical side effects, highlighting the need for personalised prescribing, says major meta-analysis

Scientists discover clean and green way to recycle Teflon®

‘Messy’ galaxies in the early universe struggled to settle

Global supply chains benefit most from who you know

While searching for the world’s oldest ice, scientists find sediment sneaking under the Antarctic ice sheet

Contrasting risk profiles for suicide attempt and suicide

Future-focused conservation index identifies reptiles as highest conservation priority

Ideological polarization and the spread of biased or fake news on Facebook are on the rise, according to a study by the UPF

New study reveals how tiny but powerful gatekeepers guard the nucleus

Discovery of a brown dwarf orbiting a red dwarf through the synergy of ground- and space-based observatories

CPA journal wins prestigious award at high-quality development conference

Disruptive investments can build a cleaner aviation industry

Wearable optical device distinguishes blood flow signals from the brain and scalp

USC-Caltech study moves novel tool to measure brain blood flow closer to the clinic

Changes in colorectal cancer screening modalities among insured individuals

Seaweed makes for eco-friendly tissue scaffolds and reduces animal testing

New study: AI chatbots systematically violate mental health ethics standards

Smoking both cannabis and tobacco may alter brain’s ‘bliss molecule,’ study finds

The rise of longevity clinics: Promise, risk, and the future of aging

Decoding the T-cell burst: Signature genes that predict T-cell expansion in cancer immunotherapy

[Press-News.org] Depression second leading cause of global disability burden