Depression in adults

Overview

Major depressive disorder is among the most burdensome health conditions worldwide. Between 1990 and 2019, the global burden of mental disorders rose from 80.8 million to 125.3 million DALYs, mental disorders moved into the top ten leading causes of global burden, and years lived with disability contributed almost all of it — depressive disorders are the largest single contributor.^[30] In Australia, 17.4% of adults aged 16–85 consulted a health professional for their mental health in 2020–2022, up from 11.9% in 2007; general practitioners recorded a 53% increase in their share of that work.^[31] Depression is therefore core general practice business, and most treated depression is managed wholly in primary care.

Depression is also a highly recurrent condition. Recurrent depression reflects an underlying vulnerability that is largely genetic in nature, and each episode increases the risk of the next.^[22] The consulting-room consequences follow directly: treat episodes to full remission, continue treatment long enough, and take recurrence history seriously when planning duration.

References36ShowHide

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