Research undertaken by the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that depression is a more damaging illness than other chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and asthma.
More than 245,000 people from 60 countries took part in the WHO survey, answering questions about their health such as how much sleep they get, how much pain they experience, whether they have any problems with memory or concentration, etc.
The research finds that of all the chronic conditions, depression had the largest effect on worsening health. Dr Somnath Chatterji, who worked on the research, said: “These results indicate the urgency of addressing depression as a public health priority to reduce disease burden and disability, and to improve the overall health of populations.”
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