Do
you know that the theme for this year’s Mental Health Day, observed on October
10th, was “Depression: A Global Crisis.” Depression affects more
than 350 million people of all ages, in all communities, and is a significant
contributor to the global burden of disease. A report issued to coincide with Mental
Health Day 2012 reported on the burden of mental illness and addictions in
Ontario Canada. Sujitha Ratnasingham, lead author of the report by the
Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario, reported that the burden of mental
illness and addictions is more than 1.5 times that of all cancers. In Ontario, mental illness and addiction contributed to
more than 600,000 health-adjusted life-years, a measure that incorporates both
premature death and reduced functioning or suboptimal states of health
associated with disease or injury. The five conditions that had the highest
burden were: Depression, Bipolar disorder, Alcohol use disorders, Social phobia,
and Schizophrenia. Of these, depression had the highest overall burden and accounted for one
third of those five conditions. Bottom line? Early detection is key.
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