In Serbia, depression affects approximately 5% of the population

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression affects about tens of millions of individuals in the EU, and the global prevalence is expected to rise by 25% by 2020 as a result of the pandemic.

Over 40 million Europeans are affected, accounting for 4.3 percent of the population. These were the conclusions reached at the GLOBSEC 2022 during a panel discussion forum.

Ten expert and researcher panels from Eastern and Central Europe and the Baltic countries investigated depression care and treatment in their home countries, with studies conducted in Serbia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia, Latvia, and Estonia.

In terms of the pandemic's psychological effects, the overall prevalence of depression and anxiety  increased by a staggering 25% in the first year alone, and this figure is expected to rise even further. Depression is more relevant than ever in the context of the pandemic, and academics and physicians around the world have labelled it a silent pandemic.

Depression is a mental disorder that belongs to the so-called group of mood disorders, according to Prof Igor Pantic, a psychiatric specialist, associate prof at the Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, and associate prof professor at the University of Haifa in Israel, with the main symptoms being loss of energy, loss of interest,loss of interest, insomnia, loss of appetite, excessive guilt, decreased self-confidence, and irritability.

He believes that combating depression should be the responsibility of society as a whole, not just psychiatrists. "A system must be created that perpetuates financial and other types of certainty, such that, an individual should not be regularly exposed to worries and pressures." "We also have to work on building a value system that includes decency, honesty,  empathy, and forgiveness," Professor Pantic adds.

According to some estimates, approximately 5% of Serbians suffer from depression, with between 1,000 and 1,500 people commiting suicide in the country each year, with a significant number of them being young people.

Suicide remains extremely common, despite recent efforts to prevent and treat mental illnesses. Depression has severe economic ramifications for both individuals and societies. This disorder disables a person, reduces his or her work productivity, and impairs family functioning.