A cross-country comparison of sociodemographic correlates of depression in the WHO study of global aging and adult health (SAGE)

Depressive disorders are the leading cause of the burden of disease in both middle- and high-income countries (Mathers et al. 2008). With the exception of the African region — where infectious and diarrheal diseases continue to dominate — depressive disorders rank among the top ten causes of disease burden in all WHO regions; globally, they are projected to be the single most important cause in 2030. Alleviating the personal suffering and reducing the economic costs and consequences of this group of disorders is a growing concern and focus for intervention. Relative to physical conditions, psychiatric disorders have been shown to be more disabling and less likely to be treated in some parts of the world (Suliman et al. 2010).