According to new major depressive disorder statistics, India suffers the most years of life lost due to disability or death caused by depression and anxiety. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
Depression statistics show that the United States has failed in the area of mental health.
Depression has cut short the lives of many Americans.
How can the U.S. be among the most depressed countries in the world?
Don't we have the latest and greatest anti-depressants designed to relieve depression?
Are we not the most technologically advanced?
Aren't our living standards and access to food, medicine and entertainment sufficient to snuff out depression?
Only 40 percent of people in the U.S. who are struggling with a mental health crisis receive mental health care.
And there are only 13 psychiatrists per 100,000 people in the U.S.
Is the answer more psychiatrists?
Clearly, the answer is no.
The U.S. will keep getting the same sad results we see in these major depressive disorder statistics.
As long as we continue to rely on antidepressants and psychiatrists to heal mental illness.
U.S. Among Most Depressed Countries in the World
Mental health issues cut the most years off of life in Asia and the U.S.
By Deidre McPhillips | Data Reporter Sept. 14, 2016, at 10:05 a.m
The U.S. is one of the most depressed countries in the world, according to the World Health Organization.
In terms of quality years of life lost due to disability or death, the U.S. ranked third for depressive disorders.
India, China and the U.S. are the countries most affected by anxiety, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
What Percentage Receive Medical Care?
About one in five adults in the U.S. experiences some form of mental illness each year.
This is according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
But, only 41 percent of those affected received mental health care or services in the past year.
In August, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton released a plan to reform the mental health system in the U.S.
A favorable step for advocates who have cited issues such as an insufficient number of providers.
And the expensive costs of medication.
Closing the gap between mental health patients and providers is a global issue.
“In 2014, 45 percent of the world's population had less than one psychiatrist to serve 100,000 people,” according to WHO.
Psychiatric Care Availability
Asia has an especially low concentration of psychiatrists.
Perhaps the cause of the region's high overall burden of mental illness.
Europe has the highest, led by Monaco, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Each of the aforementioned countries, with between 20 and 40 psychiatrists per 100,000 people.
The U.S. and Canada have about 13 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization.
According to WHO, here are the countries with the greatest burden of disease for mental and behavioral disorders.
Specifically, in terms of most years of life lost due to disability or death adjusted for population size.
Here are the 2016 worldwide major depressive disorder statistics:
| Overall | Depression | Anxiety | Alcohol & Drug Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | India | India | China |
| India | China | China | India |
| U.S. | U.S. | U.S. | U.S. |
| Russia | Indonesia | Brazil | Russia |
| Brazil | Brazil | Indonesia | Brazil |
| Indonesia | Russia | Pakistan | U.K. |
| Pakistan | Pakistan | Bangladesh | Germany |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh | Nigeria | Mexico |
| Nigeria | Nigeria | Turkey | Japan |
| Germany | Iran | Iran | France |
Ben Isaac is the author of 