At a glance overview of the worldwide impact of depression, focusing on various aspects such as its prevalence, economic burden, treatment challenges, and emerging research areas.
The infographic shows a 27% increase in depression cases due to COVID-19, affecting 280 million people worldwide. The economic impact in the U.S. reached $326 billion in 2018, a 35% increase since 2010. About 30% of those with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are resistant to standard treatments. There’s growing interest in psychedelic research for treating depression, focusing on their ability to activate brain receptors and promote neuroplasticity.
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One hypothesis of the cycle of anhedonia (loss of interest or pleasure) in patients with depression is illustrated in this image; this hypothesis comes from a series of experiments performed on a sample of psychology students.
As adjunctive treatment in MDD, some dopamine–serotonin receptor antagonists are associated with sedating side effects, while others are more often associated with ‘activating’ side effects.