Scientists are underlining that the continuing economic crisis in Greece, combined with uncertainty about the future and insecurity, is increasing depression rates dramatically and threatening their health.
The Athens News reported that as many as of 33% of women and 25% of men (about 1.1 million women and 850,000 men) are suffering from mild to serious depression. Health care professionals said that worries over their lifestyle changes are adversely affecting Greeks.
According to the results of a worldwide study on mental health carried out recently in 17 countries, about 5 percent of people reported experiencing an episode of depression in the past year. The disease can affect people from all walks of life and in certain serious cases it can lead to suicide, experts say.
Every year and all over the world about one million lives are lost due to suicides, or about 3,000 deaths on a daily basis. Suicide in Greece has risen by a third since the criss hit, according to medical sources. On Sept. 6, protesting firemen, police, and coastguard staged hangings outside of parliament to draw attention to the increased suicides in the face of austerity and the crisis.
According to the World Health Organization, by the year 2020, depression will be the second most common reason for inability to work and by 2030 the first, unless drastic measures are taken to combat it.
(Source: ANSA)
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