The Secretariat of Health has reaffirmed that mental health is a national priority, strengthening actions aimed at the prevention, early detection, and comprehensive care of disorders affecting emotional well-being, including depression. A condition that can arise at any stage of life and have profound consequences if not addressed promptly. Among the conditions impacting mental health, depression holds a central place due to its ability to alter personal, family, social, academic, and functional capacity. The persistent nature of depression and its potential to evolve into more severe scenarios make addressing it a task of high relevance in public health and social matters. From this perspective, the Secretariat of Health emphasized the importance of recognizing symptoms, avoiding stigma, and seeking professional help from the first signs.
To facilitate the population's access to specialized support, the Secretariat of Health maintains free, confidential, and permanent services, among them the "Línea de la Vida" (800 911 2000), which operates 24 hours a day and offers immediate guidance in crisis situations or emotional distress. To this network is added the National Institute of Psychiatry "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", an institution that operates under a zero-rejection policy, ensuring that any person who requests care receives an initial assessment, regardless of their condition or origin. From a clinical standpoint, psychiatrist César Amaury Sánchez Aguilar, Sub-director of Human Resources Training in Mental Health at the National Institute of Psychiatry "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz" (INPRFM), noted that depression should not be confused with transient emotions. It is a persistent and severe low mood state that directly affects a person's ability to function in their daily life and maintain functional social, family, and work relationships.
Among the clinical manifestations that must be identified early are deep and sustained sadness, loss of interest in activities that were once gratifying, changes in sleep or eating habits, and a significant decrease in energy. These signs can appear at any age, although girls, boys, adolescents, and older adults represent particularly vulnerable groups, making it essential to reinforce detection and support strategies. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 330 million people currently live with depression worldwide, which is approximately 4-5% of the global population. Furthermore, it is estimated that around 10% of people will experience at least one depressive episode in their lifetime. These figures place depression among the main contemporary public health challenges, with a direct impact on productivity, social cohesion, and quality of life.
In the framework of World Depression Day, the Secretariat of Health called on the population to speak openly about this condition, to listen with empathy, and to use the available professional services, remembering that timely care can decisively change the course of the disease and the lives of those who face it.
