English abstract
Depression is a common mental health problem, seen frequently in general medical settings.1 It constitutes a substantial proportion of the global burden of disease. Major depressive disorder (MDD) was identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001 as the fourth leading cause of disability and premature death in the world. It is estimated that by the year 2020 MDD would be second to ischemic heart disease in regard to disease burden.2,3 T he WHO media center published a fact sheet in 2001 on mental and neurological disorders which stated that 25% of individuals develop one or more mental or behavioral disorders at some stage in their lives, in both developed and developing countries.4 In this communication we report the surveillance of depression and factors associated with depression among residents of Karachi, Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted, approved by ethical committee of Ziauddin University Hospital, Clifton, Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 300 individuals were selected randomly from different areas of city. All individuals participated in the study were informed about the objectives of the study and provide them assurance with regards to confidentiality. A simple, self explanatory questionnaire with nominal measurement was administered by trained data collectors.
