Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude of Allied Health Sciences Students Regarding Depression Among Patients

ABSTRACT: A prevalent and dangerous medical condition that hurts a person's feelings, thoughts, and behavior is depression. As stated by WHO, “A typical symptom of depression is a loss of interest in activities that one usually enjoys and a persistent sadness that lasts for at least two weeks, making it difficult to carry out daily activities”. Additional symptoms include low energy, altered appetite, increased or decreased sleep, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, difficulty making decisions, restlessness, feelings of guilt, hopelessness, or unworthiness, and suicidal thoughts. In 2015, it was projected that there were over 300 million cases of depression worldwide or 4.3% of the world's population. As per the 2015-2016 National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), one in every 20 Indians has depression, and approximately 15% of adult Indians require active care for one or more mental health conditions. According to statistics, depression accounts for 7.5% of all years survived with an infirmity in 2015, making it the leading cause of disability worldwide. When depression reaches its worst, it can result in suicide, which claims the lives of over 800,000 individuals annually. For those aged 15 to 29, it is the second most common cause of death1. Allied Health Sciences Students as primary health care workers/professionals will play an important part in identifying the symptoms of depression if any in a patient even when they come for a different health issue.