New trends to decrease depression impact

Depression is one of the most common health conditions globally. It’s estimated that between?two to six percent?of people in the world have experienced depression in the past year. Between 2010 and 2018, the total number of US adults with MDD increased by 12.9%, from 15.5 to 17.5 million.

What Is Depression?

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home.

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Researchers estimate that around one in three women and one in five men in the United States have an episode of major depression by the time they are 65.?Studies in other high-income countries suggest even higher figures. In the Netherlands and Australia, it’s estimated that this affects 40% of women and 30% of men.

Risk Factors for Depression

Depression can affect anyone—even a person who appears to live in relatively ideal circumstances.

Several factors can play a role in depression:

1. Biochemistry: Differences in certain chemicals in the brain may contribute to symptoms of depression.
2. Genetics: Depression can run in families. For example, if one identical twin has depression, the other has a 70 percent chance of having the illness sometime in life.
3. Personality: People with low self-esteem, who are easily overwhelmed by stress, or who are generally pessimistic appear to be more likely to experience depression.
4. Environmental factors: Continuous exposure to violence, neglect, abuse or poverty may make some people more vulnerable to depression.

How big is the market?

The Market is projected to grow to USD 13.03 Billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 2.6%. This growth is pushed due to the increasing prevalence of mental health disorders in adults and children, owing to the tremendous financial and emotional burden.

?Economic Burden

The incremental economic burden of adults with major depression rose from $US236.6 billion in 2010 to $US326.2 billion in 2018 (2020 values), representing an increase of 37.9% over these 8 years. Moreover, depression is associated with a substantial loss in productivity, much of which results from the fact that depression has an earlier age of onset (late 20s) than other common diseases affecting individuals before or during their prime working years. The chronicity of depression and its deleterious effects on educational and professional attainment further add to this substantial loss in productivity. So, any new intervention that can decrease the degree of depression in those patients could decrease the economic burden for them and the health system.

Currently, new pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions are on their way to helping patients in a 360° approach.

New treatments for depression:

• Innovative R&D pipeline is on the rise with the 2021 Phase II data from Ansofaxine (Is a potent Serotonin-Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNDRI/TRI) produced by Luye Pharma in China.
• MindMed?is a?biotech?company working on psychedelic treatments and therapies to address ADHD, depression, PTSD, and other conditions. It's?part of a wave of new, including the Peter Thiel-backed Atai, Mindbloom, Field Trip, and Compass Pathways,?that are exploring the clinical use of substances such as LSD, and psilocybin, MDMA, and other drugs to treat mental illness.

Digital Health Therapies:

Digital mental health is no longer solely restricted to talk therapy or medication management. A host of companies--both startups and more established businesses--now?offer?psychedelic therapy, executive coaching, support for children and adolescents, and specific treatment

BetterUp: Founded in 2013, the coaching and mental health platform BetterUp?provides online executive coaching, live group sessions, and other?resources?to improve professional leadership. BetterUp's coaches don't just tackle boardroom issues.?it?raised $125 million?in its Series D funding round, valuing the business at $1.73 billion.?

Real: Since launching in 2020, the company?has debuted a new online?therapy service and raised $10 million in a?Series A?funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Investors include actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, soccer star Megan Rapinoe, and NFL all-pro Eric Kendricks, as well as the VC firms Forerunner Ventures, Female Founders Fund, BBG Ventures, G9 Ventures, and SoGal.

Selfapy: Selfapy?is a German-based startup providing a digital prescription app for depression treatment. Selfapy is certified as a CE Class I medical device and is prescribed by a doctor or therapist. The app offers online courses based on cognitive behavioral therapy methods. ?

Personalized Treatment?

Israeli startup?Genetika+?solution combines a blood test and an analytics platform that uses biological, medical, and genetic data to find the best antidepressant medication for each patient. This approach helps patients to recover faster and reach better outcomes with fewer side effects. Genetika+ analyses a person’s blood sample to examine her profile and responsiveness. Then the platform generates a prediction of the patient’s response to the breadth of depression medications.

?Conclusion:

?There′s a need to diagnose depression earlier and bring the best intervention for these patients, being pharmacological or non-pharmacological.?Digital Health and biomarkers for mental health are being developed and as an investor and early adopter, this is the best time to be involved.?