Depression Prevalence Among households in Pakistan


Depression is something that most of the people around us brush off, but it is something that effects our day-to-day activities so much more than we expect. Due to the existing social hardships, Pakistan has a greater incidence rate of depression compared to other emerging nations. Thus, there is a critical need for comprehensive research on the prevalence of depression.

According to research done in Quetta, Karachi and Lahore, the number of depressive constituents a high percentage of females, middle-aged individuals, and secondary school level of education students. According to the “global burden of diseases”, depression is ranked 4th, indicating that it is widely recognized as a serious public health issue. Over the age of 18, 340 million adults have committed suicides. 450 million people in the world suffer from depression and anxiety. Less than 35% of those with depression and anxiety disorders in developing nations receive treatment, while an estimated 50.8 million people have serious depression.

Pakistan has a population of 157,935,000 which makes it the 9th most populated country in the world. The occurrence of mental disorders statistics is as follows:

· 6% for depression,
· 1.5% for schizophrenia,
· 1% for Alzheimer's,
· 1-2% for epilepsy, and other disorders.

The current situation in Pakistan, along with other basic health issues, social, political, and economic instability, no law system, terrorism, and problems with security and safety, have created an environment that is conducive to depression, which has almost surpassed all other psychiatric conditions in prevalence. Numerous diverse research, many of which were conducted in clinics, reveal various rates of depression prevalence.

In Pakistan:

· 10–16% of the population suffers from mild to moderate psychiatric illnesses,
· 1% have severe mental illnesses.
· Approximately 8,437,406 individuals are a victim of depression.
· Prevalence of depression and anxiety for women is 29-66%.
· Prevalence of depression and anxiety for men is 10-33%.
· Prevalence of depression in Sindh was 16% urban and 12% rural.
· Prevalence of depression in Punjab was 8% urban and 9% rural.
· Prevalence of depression in Baluchistan was 40% urban and 2.5% rural.
· Prevalence of depression in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was 5% urban and 3% rural.
· 377 individuals out of 820 contacted were suffering from depression.

Female sex, middle age, poor level of education, financial hardship, being a housewife, and relationship issues were factors linked to anxiety and depression. According to a study, depression peaks in late life and reflects life cycle gains and losses in marriage, work, and financial security. Depression reportedly reaches its lowest level in middle age, at age 45. There are more female sufferers in Pakistan than male sufferers.

In 1997, the first version of the mental health policy was created, which covered advocacy, promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and intersectoral cooperation. It included plans to construct resource centers at teaching hospitals, primary care practitioner training programs, and detoxification and mental facilities. There is also a budget allocated for mental health purposes which is not efficiently used in Pakistan.

Most of us do not take symptoms in ourselves and our friends etc. seriously. Depression is a very big thing that needs to be cured as soon as possible to save lives and the topic should not be a taboo. Children should be made comfortable to convey their problems to their parents, it is never too late to start working on it before it is actually too late.