Depression is one of the most prevalent problems and the leading cause of disability worldwide. In Chile, the rates for this pathology are among the highest internationally. According to data from the 2016-2017 National Health Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, 15.81% of the general population over the age of 18 reports having experienced depressive symptoms in the past year; that is, feelings of sadness and loss of interest or enjoyment.
For their part, 6.2% of the Chilean men and women surveyed were diagnosed with this pathology, showing a significant difference in the national prevalence between women and men, with the former having a prevalence of 10.1% and men of 2.1%.
Regarding suicidality rates, 2.21% of the population reported having seriously considered suicide in the past year, 1.51% of the population had developed a plan in the past 12 months, and 0.71% had attempted suicide during the same period. While the prevalence of attempts in the past year was higher in women than in men (1.31% vs. 0.21% of the population), this difference was not significant.
See full results of the National Health Survey 2016-2017
The objective of the Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and Personality (MIDAP) is to generate scientific knowledge based on a multidimensional understanding of depression in interaction with personality, in order to maximize the effectiveness of interventions by identifying the agents and mechanisms of change present in prevention, psychotherapy and rehabilitation.
A multidimensional approach to the study of depression
To achieve a deep understanding of the causes of depression and the effectiveness of treatment and prevention, MIDAP uses a multidimensional approach that draws on the expertise of its researchers from different disciplines to generate an empirical model of the etiology, prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation of depression. This model studies the relationship between depression and personality, along with the various dimensions of human functioning that have been empirically associated with this disease.
The relationship between personality and depression has been conceptualized in at least four ways: Personality as vulnerability to the development of depression, personality changes as a consequence of mood disturbances, affective temperaments as a manifestation of subclinical depression, and personality characteristics as influences on the clinical manifestation of depression.
Different aspects of image have been empirically associated, separately, with depression. Some studies on culture and depression have shown differences in the epidemiology of the latter in different countries, as well as differences in the symptomatic expression of the illness. The importance of the social context in understanding the higher prevalence of depression in certain socioeconomic levels, and in women more than in men, has been made clear through explanations that relate the illness to stressors associated with poverty. From a developmental perspective, empirical evidence has emphasized the importance of early childhood conditions, the relevance of depression and suicidality in adolescents, and the epidemiological impact of depression in older adults.
Cognitive and emotional biases have also received significant empirical support, including irrational thinking, memory and attention biases, low self-esteem, attributional styles, and negative thoughts. Within psychophysiological studies, the abnormal response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, an essential part of the neuroendocrine system that controls the reaction to stress, stands out as a crucial component in the development of the disease. On the other hand, genetic studies have failed to identify a single main effect, instead incorporating different types of relationships between the genome and the environment, such as the interaction between polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene and adverse life events.
