New findings from researchers at City University in London show that depression costs the United Kingdom (UK) about £2 billion annually in direct costs; the figure rises to about £8 billion annually when such indirect costs as lost productivity are considered.
Economic losses were among a number of aspects of the illness discussed during "Depression: A Social and Economic Timebomb," a conference held recently at the Royal Society of Medicine in London. The conference was sponsored by the World Health Organization and Harvard Medical School to draw attention to the substantial health burden depression has become in the UK and worldwide.
During the conference, 12 international experts from eight countries examined numerous aspects of depression, including susceptibility and suicide rates among the elderly, the role of new antidepressant drugs that target serotonin levels, and the management of depression in the workplace.
"Depression will have an increasing impact on . . . [Full Text of this Article]
