Abstract
Objectives: Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not exhibit usual mood swings and emotional reactions to difficulties in life. Patients with MDD experience specific symptoms such as decreased mood, loss of interest, and suicidal thoughts, particularly those with moderate, severe, or recurrent MDD. Depression can become a severe health condition, and MDD can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, and functional impairment. A total of 260 million people are diagnosed as having MDD worldwide, with a global prevalence of 3627 per 100,000 individuals.
 Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study recruited 2894 patients who were interviewed at a psychiatric clinic and were diagnosed as having MDD from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020, at Hera General Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. From the hospital’s health information system, we extracted the following data using the patient arrival report for psychiatric clinics.
 Results: The mean age of MDD onset was 43 years in Saudi Arabia with a peak age between 35 and 40 years and an average age between 43 and 46 years.
 Conclusion: The mean and peak ages of MDD onset in Saudi Arabia differ from those in other countries. Our findings can help set a screening age for depression in the Saudi population in primary healthcare centers.
Highlights
Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not exhibit usual mood swings and emotional reactions to difficulties in life.[1]
This study examined the annual maximum age of MDD at Hera General Hospital over the past 5 years by utilizing the ICD-10
Approximately 2894 patients with MDD visited the psychiatric clinic from January 1, 2016, to December 30, 2020
Summary
Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not exhibit usual mood swings and emotional reactions to difficulties in life.[1]. The number of people of all ages years living with disability and MDD has increased by 14%.[4,5] Saudi Arabia was a population of over 35 million with MDD which has the highest prevalence among its population with Makkah city population of around 2 million, Hera General Hospital covers the northern sector of the city
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
