The yearly peak age of the onset of major depressive disorder over the past 5 years at a general hospital in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not exhibit usual mood swings and emotional reactions to difficulties in life. Patients with MDD experience specific symptoms such as decreased mood, loss of interest, and suicidal thoughts, particularly those with moderate, severe, or recurrent MDD. Depression can become a severe health condition, and MDD can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, and functional impairment. A total of 260 million people are diagnosed as having MDD worldwide, with a global prevalence of 3627 per 100,000 individuals. This cross-sectional study recruited 2894 patients who were interviewed at a psychiatric clinic and were diagnosed as having MDD from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020, at Hera General Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. From the hospital’s health information system, we extracted the following data using the patient arrival report for psychiatric clinics. The mean age of MDD onset was 43 years in Saudi Arabia with a peak age between 35 and 40 years and an average age between 43 and 46 years. The mean and peak ages of MDD onset in Saudi Arabia differ from those in other countries. Our findings can help set a screening age for depression in the Saudi population in primary healthcare centers.