Global Depression Study Finds Widespread Similarities About 15
percent of people experience a major life event which triggers
depression Women are much more likely to have periods of
depression than men, according to a new study of people in 18
countries. Last updated on: July 28, 2011 8:00 PM Depression is
widespread globally, according to a new survey based on
interviews with 89,000 people in 18 countries . They included
higher-income countries like Spain, Japan and the United States
and low-to-middle income ones such as India, Lebanon and
Ukraine. In the high-income countries, 15 percent had at least
one episode of major depression over their lifetime. In lower-
income nations, the rate was somewhat lower, about 11 percent.
The study was carried out in conjunction with the World Health
Organization's Mental Health Survey Initiative. "Major
depression is defined as a period where you have a number of
symptoms of depression that go on all day long, every day, for
at least a two-week period," says Evelyn Brome