Depression is a mental health disorder characterised by a persistently low mood or loss of interest in activities. It causes significant impairment in daily life. Possible causes include a combination of biological, psychological and social sources of distress.
It’s a major mental illness that largely goes undiagnosed. Survey estimates put the lifetime risk of depression at 10%. This makes depression one of the most common mental illnesses. In 2019, the World Health Organization estimated that 280 million people in the world – about 3.8% of the population – had depression.
