The Relationship between the Prevalence of Depressive Disorders and Stock Price Volatility and Return

The purpose of this research is to find out if there is a relationship between the prevalence of depressive disorders and stock price volatility and return. For this purpose, the relationships between the variables are analyzed using the panel data method. The first of the results is that there is a negative bidirectional relationship structure between stock price volatility and the prevalence of depressive disorders. Another result is that stock market returns affect the prevalence of depressive disorders and this interaction has a negative sign. This result can be interpreted as the increase in the stock market return will decrease the prevalence of depressive disorders or the decrease in the stock market return will increase the prevalence of depressive disorders. On the other hand, no causal relationship can be obtained that the prevalence of depressive disorders affects the stock market return. It is thought that the findings obtained are important in terms of revealing the interrelationships of the movements in the returns and volatility of stock markets with the prevalence of depression and their potential to affect each other.