Antidepressant: An Overview

Abstract

Depression is the largest cause of disability in the world and a substantial contributor to the global illness burden. According to the National Health Interview Survey, individuals aged 18-29 had the highest percentage of persons experiencing any symptoms of depression, followed by those aged 45-64 and 65 and older, and finally those aged 30-44. Women are more likely than men to suffer from serious depressive disorders (8.7 percent compared to 5.3 percent of adult males). Depression is characterized by drastic changes in one's life, childhood trauma, a hectic schedule, stress, brain structure (risk is higher in the frontal lobe of the brain), a variety of medical histories, a larger intake of alcohol, and drug addiction, to name a few.