 In the Global Burden of Disease study conducted in 2010, depressive disorders were found to be a leading cause of burden worldwide. Major depression, M.D.D., accounted for 8.2% of total years lived with disability, YLDs, while dysthymia accounted for 1.4%. M.D.D. was also found to be a significant contributor to the burden of suicide and ischemic heart disease, accounting for 16 million and 3.8 million dailies respectively. This article was authored by Alize J. Ferrari, Fiona J. Charlson, Rosanna E. Norman and others.