Factors such as **gender**, with **higher risk in women**, income, educational level, **social support, and working conditions** are decisive in the risk of developing depressive symptoms, according to specialists from the University of La Laguna (ULL), who analyze this pathology from the perspectives of psychiatry, psychology, and economics.Depression is one of the main public health problems in the world and affects more than 280 million people, according to the ULL in a statement this Thursday, adding that it can impact between 10% and 20% of the population throughout life and is among the **disorders that generate the most disability**, due to its effect on quality of life, daily functioning, and productivity
Coinciding with World Depression Day, researchers from the ULL address this disorder from different disciplines and emphasize that it is not a simple sadness or a personal weakness, but a well-defined mental illness.
The psychiatrist Carlos de las Cuevas explains that depression affects mood, thinking, sleep, energy, and the ability to enjoy daily lifeFrom a psychological perspective, Wenceslao Peñate defines depression as a mental state of negative affectivity and disinterest in daily tasks, accompanied by somatic, neurovegetative, and cognitive symptoms.One of its most characteristic traits is anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure. Peñate points out that feeling sad for a few days is normal, but when the discomfort persists for two weeks or more, it may be a depressive episode that requires professional attention.Depression has a high comorbidity with anxiety, which has favored the development of joint therapies for both disorders.
Certain groups present a higher risk, such as university students, the note indicates, while highlighting that after the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in anxiety and depression was recorded in this group, and currently around 20% of university students present symptoms compatible with depression, compared to 12% or 13% before the pandemic.
Suicidal ideation
Suicidal ideation, closely associated with depression, continues to be a cause for concern, reinforcing the importance of early detection.In this context, the University of La Laguna has the Psychological and Speech Therapy Services Unit, which in its three years of operation has assisted more than 600 people, mainly studentsFrom neuroscience, alterations have been identified in brain regions involved in emotional and cognitive control, such as the anterior cingulate and the orbitofrontal cortex, which reinforces the idea that depression is not just a chemical imbalance, but a disorder that affects complex brain networks.In the realm of treatments, ketamine and esketamine have shown rapid effects in resistant cases, and the development of artificial intelligence-based tools opens new possibilities for early symptom detectionCarlos de las Cuevas highlights that depression has effective treatments, both psychotherapeutic and pharmacological, although low adherence remains one of the main challenges.It also points out that psychotherapy can be as effective as antidepressants in many mild and moderate cases, although access to it remains limited in public health systems.The quality of the relationship between the professional and the patient, based on trust, respect, clear communication, and shared decision-making, is another key factor for treatment success
From applied economics, studies based on the European Health Survey highlight that socioeconomic context plays a preponderant role in the risk of developing depressive symptoms.
Factors such as gender, income, educational level, social support, and working conditions have a decisive influenceIn this regard, temporality, part-time work, and certain economic sectors are associated with a higher probability of suffering from depression.
Imanol Lorenzo, an economist at the University of La Laguna, explains that it is a combination of factors acting together and emphasizes the need to design focused mental health policies with a gender perspective and adapted to work and social contexts.
