top of page

Depression in relation to the country you live in

whereemotionsflow

Author: Ioli Nikoletta Papadopoulou


Introduction: The formation of depression is generally by the world where we are raised and where we live. The norms in our countries push us to form a certain behavior and way of thinking. If the norms that are cultivated in us when young or later in life are toxic, they can lead to depressive tendencies.


In every country the depression rates are different. This mainly has to do with the conditions of living and the norms that are formatted in these societies.


Countries with the highest depression rates*:


  • Ukraine 6.3%

  • United States 5.9%

  • Australia 5.9%

  • Estonia 5.9%

  • Brazil 5.8%

  • Portugal 5.7%

  • Greece 5.7%

  • Belarus 5.6%

  • Finland 5.6%

  • Lithuania 5.6%


Reasons why depression rates are higher:


  • War

  • Psychopathology-> Psychiatric disorders have high co-morbidity

  • Obesity

  • Diet

  • Physical activity

  • Light and sleep

  • Social environment


Countries with the lowest depression rates*:


  • Nepal 3.2%

  • Laos 3.2%

  • Samoa 3.2%

  • Tonga 3.2%

  • Vanuatu 3.1%

  • Kiribati 3.1%

  • Micronesia 3.1%

  • Papua New Guinea 3%

  • Timor Leste 3%

  • Solomon Islands 2.9%


Reasons why depression rates are lower:


  • Spirituality

  • Access to psychological assistance

  • Peace

  • Ability to cover basic needs


Conclusion:


In conclusion, depression and the country where you reside are related to each other in many ways for a lot of reasons such as the ones mentioned in the research above.


(*The evidence presented above may not be extremely accurate as in many less economically developed countries depression is underdiagnosed)




References:


World Population Review. (n.d.). Depression rates. Retrieved from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/depression-rates-by-country


Hirschfeld, R. M. A., & Lewis, L. (2005). The prevalence and characteristics of depression in patients with chronic pain: A review of the literature. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3330161/

Recent Posts

See All

Stage Fright

By Varsha Seshadri  What is stage fright?  Stage fright, also known as performance anxiety, is a condition of fear which occurs when...

Comments


bottom of page