Findings of a retrospective study on factors responsible for depression in a Northern Indian State

Objective: Depression is a leading cause of morbidity and disability worldwide. The factors responsible for the prevalence of depression vary across countries and cultures. This study was aimed to provide data on the prevalence of depression and the possible risk factors responsible for its prevalence in Haryana State, India. Methods: A retrospective study on factors responsible for depression in a Northern Indian State. A retrospective evaluation of the medical records of a total of 4512 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of depression was carried out at the psychiatric units of three different district government hospitals from September 2010 till August 2013. The data was analyzed using the statistical software, SPSS version 13®. Results: Prevalence of depression was found to be significant among females (?2=32.9, df=1, p0.001), as a majority (58%) of the patients were females. In terms of ethnicity, seventy-eight percent patients were Hindus and belong to lower castes of community and other backward classes. However, in terms of age, 1714 (38%) were over 50 years of age (?2=38.78, df=1, p0.0001). Social problems and medical complications were the most common identified stressors during patient evaluation. Marital and family problems, followed by relationship/childhood problems and death of loved ones, were the frequent risk factors identified among females. However, financial and job related problems were the most common stressors identified among males. Among medical complications, hypertension was the most frequent. Conclusions: Overall, the findings demonstrate a high rate of depression among people of low socioeconomic status and aged patients with medical conditions.