An Overview of Indian Research in Depression

Abstract

Researchers in India have long been interested in depression as a disease. A vast number of research from India have been published in the previous 50-60 years, covering various facets of this widely widespread disease. Epidemiology, demographic and psychosocial risk factors, neurobiology, symptomatology, comorbidity, evaluation and diagnosis, effect of depression, treatment-related difficulties, and depression prevention, as well as the efficacy and tolerability of various antidepressants, were all investigated. Depression is a prevalent and treatable illness that is nevertheless under-diagnosed in primary care settings. There is a need to mobilise additional resources to deal with depressive illnesses in India, which has a national shortfall of 77% for psychiatrists. The present subtyping of depression is based on the categorical classification of bipolar and depressive disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). However, current research supports a dimensional approach to depression, which is defined as a continuum/spectrum of overlapping illnesses that range from bipolar I depression to severe depressive disorder. In this article, we look at statistics from India on several elements of depression.