Integrating universal screening for depression in India's primary healthcare system could be expected to generate a net savings of Rs 291 billion to Rs 482 billion, a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia has estimated.

Researchers, including those from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, said the savings is equivalent to 0.19 per cent to 0.32 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.