The Need
How Treating Depression Strengthens People, Families, and Communities.
332 million people
experience depression disorders globally.
Up to 85% of people
in low-income countries have no access to treatment.
Women are affected
at 2x the rate of men.
Understanding Depression
Depression is a common mood disorder that affects the mind and body. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, religion, or socio-economic status.
Depression is more than the temporary changes in mood that naturally arise in response to everyday challenges and ease with time. It is a persistent condition that can last for weeks, months, or even years.
Common Signs and Symptoms
- Extreme sadness
- Disturbed sleep or appetite
- Dramatic mood swings
- Anger, frustration, or irritability
- Fatigue and lack of energy not alleviated by sleeping
- Inability to concentrate or make decisions
- Feelings of guilt or low self-worth
- Excessive worrying or fear
- Agitation or physical restlessness
- Avoidance of social activities
- Physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomach aches, and back aches.
- Hopelessness and a general loss of interest in life
- Thoughts or acts of suicide or self-harm
Good Mental Health
Unlocks Human Potential
Untreated depression affects every area of life. It can cause people to withdraw from family and community, avoid essential health services, leave school or work, and struggle with caregiving. The resulting costs are borne simultaneously across the health, education, and economic sectors.
Across Africa, tens of millions of people live with depression, and an estimated 85 percent receive no treatment.
Yet depression is highly treatable at low cost. Investing in treatment delivers broad returns: recovery enables people to re-engage with work, education, healthcare, and family life, strengthening communities and reinforcing the public systems on which nations depend.
Mental Health Treatment Gap
45.5 qualified mental healthcare providers per 100,000 people in Europe
1.3 qualified mental healthcare providers per 100,000 people in Africa
How do we treat depression at scale?
Mental Health and Sustainable Development Goals
Food
Linking mental health treatment to improved food security and nutrition for families.
Human rights
Advocating for mental health care as a human right through partners and governments to integrate services.
Environment
Providing mental health support to people affected by climate disasters advocates for climate resilience.
Infectious disease
Providing mental health support during infectious disease outbreaks promotes resilience for future pandemics.
Maternal-child
Providing depression treatment to pregnant women and new mothers improves child health outcomes.