New hope for people who suffer from depression

The approval of the drug esketamine by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States will significantly advance the treatment of depression worldwide. Esketamine is particularly effective for those people who are resistant to conventional treatment, or who are at imminent risk of committing suicide.

According to the World Health Organization's estimates, more than 322 million people, equivalent to 4.4 percent of the global population, suffer from depression worldwide. In China, depression affects 54 million people and is the leading cause of suicides, according to WHO.

Nearly 50 percent of all people diagnosed with depression in China are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. And rural areas have more people suffering from mood disorder than urban areas.