Black dog: the future pandemic?

Abstract

Depression is sometimes referred to as the “Black Dog”. Just like a real dog, it needs to be embraced, understood, taught new tricks, and ultimately brought to heel. Depression is a common illness worldwide, with more than 300 million people affected; it is different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to challenges in everyday life. It can cause the affected person to suffer greatly and function poorly at work, at school and in the family. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. An increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015 makes depression a real global threat.