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Do actually poor countries have higher rates of clinical and self-reported depression? Do Colombians or Tunisians suffer worse rates of mental illness than Amer

Do actually poor countries have higher rates of clinical and self-reported depression? Do Colombians or Tunisians suffer worse rates of mental illness than Americans? I am from a country where the median income is less than $10k, the gini coefficient is higher than the US, and where the six-day workweek is the norm. I literally don't know anyone on an SSRI. Sure, it's very possible someone is suffering in silence, but it's a far cry from when I studied in the United States and more than half of my classmates were medicated for mental disorders or went to therapists.

EA-3167 3y ago
I suppose it would help to look at statistical signs of depression then, such as national suicide rate, rates of alcoholism and substance abuse, etc.
camdenlock 3y ago
These are luxury diseases that you’ll only find in super-rich countries.
christkv 3y ago
If you have to scramble to live it’s hard to have time to self analyze like we do in the west. I’m sure serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder is similar. Might also be covered up more by societies as it used to be in the west due to the family shame aspect that was very prevalent.
- EA-3167 3y ago
  Even with similar standards of living, culture can play a HUGE role in how these things are talked about. Look at Japan for example, which has a shockingly high rate of people who just... walk out of their own lives forever. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jouhatsu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jouhatsu The discussion around depression and anxiety is also relatively new in Japan, but at the same time the evidence of those issues is not, look at NEETs and Hikikomori, a high suicide rate, and the aforementioned Jōhatsu! The thing is that in Japan there's a very strong tendency to keep that sort of thing in the family, keep it away from prying eyes. Your point about how shame works in different cultures is right on the mark IMO.
  - christkv 3y ago
    I have a Spanish uncle who did this in the 70s. Just walked out and disappeared. Eventually declared dead by his wife and my grand parents. Fate unknown but theory is he left for South America.
DanBC 3y ago
Look at the suicide rates. World Health Organisation does a bunch of work on safer pesticides because it's so commonly used as a method in lower income countries. https://www.who.int/news/item/17-12-2020-new-study-highlights-cost-effectiveness-of-bans-on-pesticides-as-a-suicide-prevention-strategy https://www.who.int/news/item/17-12-2020-new-study-highlight... (Reducing access to means and methods is part of a package of measures that can be used to reduce deaths by suicide, and suicidality. It's important to remember that it's not the only thing being done).
droopyEyelids 3y ago
I see a lot of good replies here but no one posted a bit of material analysis. Psychiatry is only really significant in wealthy societies. It requires a lot of resources- Look at the psychiatrist themselves: Need a medical education, and then need to choose a field that helps people with more subtle diseases. Most poor countries don't have an abundance of doctors, and the doctors they have focus on illnesses that are going to physically hurt people. Then look at the patients. They need to have enough money to pay the psychologist, and then they need to have enough time to schedule the appointments, stick with them, and afford the pills. Looking at the basic resources and constraints of a society, it'd be very surprising if poor countries had as many diagnoses of psychiatric conditions as wealthy countries. And please note: I'm not making a value judgement on psychiatry here! Only saying that it requires a certain level of prosperity to become an element of society.

EA-3167 3y ago

I suppose it would help to look at statistical signs of depression then, such as national suicide rate, rates of alcoholism and substance abuse, etc.

camdenlock 3y ago

These are luxury diseases that you’ll only find in super-rich countries.

christkv 3y ago

If you have to scramble to live it’s hard to have time to self analyze like we do in the west. I’m sure serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder is similar. Might also be covered up more by societies as it used to be in the west due to the family shame aspect that was very prevalent.

EA-3167 3y ago
Even with similar standards of living, culture can play a HUGE role in how these things are talked about. Look at Japan for example, which has a shockingly high rate of people who just... walk out of their own lives forever. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jouhatsu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jouhatsu The discussion around depression and anxiety is also relatively new in Japan, but at the same time the evidence of those issues is not, look at NEETs and Hikikomori, a high suicide rate, and the aforementioned Jōhatsu! The thing is that in Japan there's a very strong tendency to keep that sort of thing in the family, keep it away from prying eyes. Your point about how shame works in different cultures is right on the mark IMO.
- christkv 3y ago
  I have a Spanish uncle who did this in the 70s. Just walked out and disappeared. Eventually declared dead by his wife and my grand parents. Fate unknown but theory is he left for South America.

DanBC 3y ago

Look at the suicide rates. World Health Organisation does a bunch of work on safer pesticides because it's so commonly used as a method in lower income countries. https://www.who.int/news/item/17-12-2020-new-study-highlights-cost-effectiveness-of-bans-on-pesticides-as-a-suicide-prevention-strategy https://www.who.int/news/item/17-12-2020-new-study-highlight... (Reducing access to means and methods is part of a package of measures that can be used to reduce deaths by suicide, and suicidality. It's important to remember that it's not the only thing being done).

droopyEyelids 3y ago

I see a lot of good replies here but no one posted a bit of material analysis. Psychiatry is only really significant in wealthy societies. It requires a lot of resources- Look at the psychiatrist themselves: Need a medical education, and then need to choose a field that helps people with more subtle diseases. Most poor countries don't have an abundance of doctors, and the doctors they have focus on illnesses that are going to physically hurt people. Then look at the patients. They need to have enough money to pay the psychologist, and then they need to have enough time to schedule the appointments, stick with them, and afford the pills. Looking at the basic resources and constraints of a society, it'd be very surprising if poor countries had as many diagnoses of psychiatric conditions as wealthy countries. And please note: I'm not making a value judgement on psychiatry here! Only saying that it requires a certain level of prosperity to become an element of society.