Living in Canada can be depressing/ government report

04 сентября, 2003
OTTAWA, June 4 - For ten years, the United Nations has been reporting that Canada is one of the best, if not the best, countries to live in. AFP English Wire via NewsEdge Corporation : OTTAWA, June 4 (AFP) - For ten years, the United Nations has been reporting that Canada is one of the best, if not the best, countries to live in. But Canadians have different thoughts according to a just-released government report showing that many find life here depressing. Statistics Canada found that last year "as many Canadians suffer from major depression as from other leading chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes or a thyroid condition, according to new data on mental health and well-being from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)." The government agency said it found that some four percent of those interviewed in the survey reported having experienced symptoms or feelings associated with major depression, compared with five percent with diabetes, five percent with heart disease and six percent with a thyroid condition. Statistics Canada said its survey did not include all mental health disorders, of the five that were dealt with "major depression" led the way with 1,120,000 Canadians suffering from it. Other leading mental health disorders included "mania disorder, panic disorder, social phobia ... as well as alcohol and illicit drug dependence." Statistics Canada said it collected the data between May and December last year from about 37,000 individuals, aged 15 and older. Overall, the survey found, one out of every 10 Canadians, or about 2.6 million people, reported symptoms consistent with alcohol or illicit drug dependence, or one of the five mental disorders covered in the survey, at some time during the 12 months prior to the interview. Men and women appear to show little difference in the proportion of suffering, with about 1.4 million women, or 11 percent of the total, experienced such depression symptoms, compared with 1.2 million men, or 10 percent. hfw/sba/mac Canada-health AFP 041743 GMT 09 03 <> << Copyright ©2003 Agence France-Presse >>