Depression is a widespread and severe global health concern that affects more than 264 million people worldwide, influencing personal, societal, and global development. Its relevance in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — a United Nations initiative composed of 17 objectives intended to improve global welfare by 2030 — is significant. Depression primarily intersects with three SDGs: Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Quality Education (SDG 4), and Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8).
SDG 3, which promotes good health and well-being, directly addresses depression as a central component of mental health. Depression can contribute to a variety of other health problems, like heart disease and diabetes, and severe cases can lead to suicide, accounting for close to 800,000 deaths annually. Therefore, treating and preventing depression is key to improving overall public health, reinforcing the critical role of mental health within SDG 3.
Meanwhile, SDG 4 focuses on quality education, a goal that is adversely impacted by depression. Depression can affect cognitive function, focus, and motivation, reducing educational attainment and school performance in affected individuals, particularly among adolescents. Promoting mental health in schools and focusing on early detection and intervention for depression could therefore improve education outcomes.
Finally, depression's relation to SDG 8, which emphasizes decent work and economic growth, is noteworthy. Depression often results in diminished productivity due to symptoms such as lethargy, difficulty concentrating, and absenteeism. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy US$1 trillion each year in lost productivity. Thus, combatting depression is not only crucial for personal health and well-being, but also for economic development.
In essence, addressing depression is critical to achieving the SDGs. By integrating mental health into the core of these global goals, the world can foster an environment that not only survives but thrives, promoting overall well-being and development. Through collaborative efforts, education, preventive measures, treatment, and an overall increase in mental health awareness, society can significantly reduce the burden of depression, thereby contributing substantially to the attainment of multiple SDGs.
Background: Skin diseases that cause chronic pruritus can have negative effects on a patient's quality of life. Objective: We evaluated the associations between chronic pruritus and psychological conditions including insomnia and depression. Methods: This study included responses from 91 participants with chronic pruritus (response rate: 74.6%).
Perinatal depression (PND) is a heterogeneous disorder with differences in timing of onset of depression, which influences symptomology, severity, and treatment efficacy. Researchers must embrace the heterogeneity to bring fruition to a precision medicine approach for women in reproductive mental health care. Galea and Frokjaer discuss the heterogeneity of perinatal depression based on timing onset, which influences symptoms and has implications for etiology and treatment efficacy.
There have been several recent studies addressing the genetic architecture of depression. This review serves to take stock of what is known now about the genetics of depression, how it has increased our knowledge and understanding of its mechanisms, and how the information and knowledge can be leveraged to improve the care of people affected.
Social support is one of the most reliable predictors of better health outcomes, including lower cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Although past research has focused on links between social support and health outcomes, much less work has explored whether social support is a mediator of the association between other psychological factors and cardiovascular disease. This chapter thus reviews the literature linking stress and depression to social support.
