1 in every 8 people in the world live with a mental disorder. These involve significant disturbances in thinking, emotional regulation, or behaviour. Anxiety and Depression are among the most common mental health conditions.

A. Anxiety

An estimated 4% of the global population currently experience anxiety disorder. For people with anxiety disorder, feelings of nervousness, excessive fear, or worry about a specific situation can be so intense that they interfere with normal life functioning. There are various types of anxiety disorders such as phobias, panic disorders, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety.

Symptoms

• Difficulty in concentrating or making decisions.
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• Heart palpitations, sweating, trembling or shaking
• Trouble in sleeping
• Muscle tension, restlessness, etc

Contributing factors: Anxiety can result from complex interactions of social, psychological, and biological factors. Anyone can suffer from anxiety but mostly, people who have experienced abuse, severe losses, or other adverse conditions are more prone to such mental health conditions.

Treatment: Psychological interventions, learning stress management skills such as relaxation and mindfulness, etc. Medications after diagnosis of the disorder are also recommended. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are useful in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

B. Depression

An estimated 3.8% of the world population is suffering from depression. It is different from regular mood changes or feelings. Depression can impact all aspects of life including the individual's relationships with family, friends, and community.

Symptoms

• Feelings of excessive guilt or low self-worth
• Hopelessness about the future
• Thoughts about dying or suicide
• Feeling very tired and low in energy
• Changes in appetite or weight.

Contributing Factors: People who have experienced adverse life events such as long-term unemployment, bereavement, and traumatic events are more likely to develop depression. Many of the factors that influence depression are also risk factors for physical health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory illness. Thus, people with these diseases can also develop depression due to the difficulties associated with managing their conditions.

Treatment: Psychological treatments are the first treatments for depression which can be combined with antidepressant medications. Various therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, problem-solving therapy, and behavioural activation are useful in treating depression.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178119306742?casa_token=IuP0Ilu4AtUAAAAA:-https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112705
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9248771/
3. https://journals.lww.com/psychosomaticmedicine/abstract/2019/04000/major_depressive_disorder_in_medical_illness__a.5.aspx
4. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/anxiety-disorders
5. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression