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Advanced Neurology Depression and its risk factors in India

1. Introduction the day, nearly every day, for a period of at least 2 weeks.
This condition often remains unnoticed amid daily
The story of evolution is more than a tale of life’s journey life activities, reflecting its complexity and the careful
from simple beginnings to complex forms; rather, it is a consideration needed to address it.
never-ending adventure of adaptation and improvement.
For humans, this journey goes beyond physical changes to According to statistical estimates, globally, approximately
encompass how we tackle new challenges, innovate, and 280 million people suffer from depression, comprising about
redefine what it means to be human. Each step forward 3.8% of the world’s population. The prevalence rate is around
makes us stronger and more capable. However, amid 5.0% for adults and rises to 5.7% among those aged over 60
humanity’s progress, stress plays a crucial role, shaping lives (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation | (healthdata.
in ways we often do not realize. Stress arises from several org). In particular, Greece, Palestine, and Spain have
sources, which can be broadly categorized into physical recorded some of the highest rates, ranging from 4,462.98
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and mental tiredness. Physical fatigue is a sign from our to 5,024.51 cases/100,000 people. Developed countries such
body to slow down and usually affects our muscles and as the United States, Canada, Japan, and Russia also report
energy levels. However, mental fatigue caused by stress can significant figures (VizHub – GBD Compare (healthdata.
alter our perception and impact every aspect of our lives, org) (Figure 2). Moreover, since the onset of the COVID-19
reflecting the close association among evolution, stress, pandemic, cases of MDD have increased by 27.6% globally,
and daily experiences. Notably, stress and fatigue, although comprising approximately 53.2 million new cases and
related, are not the same. Stress involves a response to bringing the total prevalence to 3,152.9 cases/100,000 people
demands or threats, whereas fatigue is a state that can arise in 2020. The pandemic also resulted in 49.4 million disability-
3
from various causes, including stress. 2 adjusted life years (DALYs) globally in the same year. DALY is
a measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number
Major depressive disorder (MDD), commonly known of years lost due to ill health, disability, or early death.
as depression, is a complex condition affecting millions
of people worldwide. According to the World Health Stress is the main culprit behind this increase in cases of
Organization (WHO) (https://www.who.int/news-room/ depression. As mentioned previously, stress can result from
fact-sheets/detail/depression), depression is characterized different factors (Figure 1), including limited educational
by a range of symptoms (Figure 1) that persist for most of opportunities, financial hardship, restricted personal

Figure 1. Depression infographics. Image created by authors.

Volume 4 Issue 3 (2025) 30 doi: 10.36922/an.5940