Oct. 10 is "World Mental Health Day". In 2012, its theme is "Depression: a Global Crisis". According to statistics from the United Nations, about 350 million people suffer from depression in the world. Approximately one million people commit suicide every year because of depression. Depression becomes a health crisis worldwide.

Depression (also DEP) is a set of mood disorders or affective disorders with the main symptom of depression caused by various reasons. It is a set of clinical syndrome or conditions centered by the depression of mood self-experience, which is characterized by chronicity, repeated outbreak and various symptoms such as depressed mood, sorrow and pain, lack of interest and pleasant sensation and no motivation. It is generally believed that the morbidity of depression is mainly associated with biochemical factors such as 5-HT, DA and NE, genetic factors as well as social and environmental factors.

In developed countries, the sales volume of medicines for depression and anxiety disorder amounts to 45% of market share of nervous centralis medicines. Depressant medicines and schizophrenia drugs totally account for 80% of world's mental disorder medicines. There are totally 50 to 60 varieties of antidepressants on the market or in development, which is more than therapeutic agents of schizophrenia. According to reports, the current eight best-selling antidepressants globally are Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertraline, Fluvoxamine, Venlafaxine, Mirtazapine, Duloxetine and Amitriptyline, and the total sales amount exceeds 80% of global antidepressant market.

With the rapid development of economy, continuous improvement in people's living standards, continuously-intensified social competition, recombination of labor forces and changes in population and family structures, depression presents an obviously increasing trend in China. It is estimated that there are over 30 million depression patients in China, among which more than 90% cannot be promptly diagnosed and treated, causing deterioration of diseases and even serious consequences of committing suicide. Statistics show that committing suicide becomes an important cause of death among young adults aged between 15 and 34 in China. Among these crowds, depression patients account for about two-thirds.

At present, the market size of China's antidepressants is very small. In 2012, the market size of China's antidepressants in hospital medicines is only about CNY 3.2 billion, with an increase of 22.6% YOY. In terms of national medicine market, the antidepressant market is still in a small size on the whole. However, with the increasing recognition rate of doctors for depression and people's changes in treatment concepts, it is expected that the future potential of China's antidepressant market is fairly great. It is predicted that in coming years, the annual growth rate of market size of China's antidepressants in hospital medicines will maintain over 20%.

More following information can be acquired through this report:

• Morbidity of China's Depression
• Current Market of China's Antidepressants in Hospital Medicines
• Competition in China's Antidepressant Market
• Development Trends of Technologies and Market of China's Antidepressants

Following people are recommended to buy this report:

• Antidepressant Manufacturers
• Pharmaceutical Trade Enterprises and Hospitals
• Investors and Research Institutions Focusing on Pharmaceutical Industry