DEPRESSION STATISTICS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

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DEPRESSION STATISTICS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

John S2 Discussion started by John S2 5 years ago

By Amy Morin, LCSW

Updated on September 02, 2019

DEPRESSION affects people from all walks of life, no matter what their background. It can affect people of all ages as well. Unfortunately, there’s still a stigma that surrounds mental health issues, and some people view disorders such as depression as a weakness. But, similar to the way anyone can develop certain physical health issues, mental health issues aren’t always preventable. Understanding the latest depression statistics could increase awareness about mental health. Recognizing how widespread it is could also help reduce the stigma—which might encourage more people to seek treatment.

Major Depressive Episodes

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) defines a major depressive episode as at least two weeks of a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities, as well as at least five other symptoms, such as:

• Sleep issues on an almost daily basis (either difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much)

• Changes in appetite and weight (change of more than 5% body weight in a month) or a decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day

• Decreased energy or fatigue almost every day

• Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and thinking clearly

• Psychomotor agitation or retardation that is observable by others (slow physical movements or unintentional or purposeless motions)

• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, a suicide attempt, or a specific plan for suicide

The symptoms must cause significant distress or impairment in a person’s social, occupational, or educational functioning.

There’s no single cause of depression, according to research. It can be the result of brain chemistry, hormones, and genetics, as well as life experiences and physical health.

Prevalence of Depression

While anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., depression isn’t far behind. The most recent depression statistics are:

• As of 2017, 300 million people around the world have depression, according to the World Health Organization

• According to data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 17.3 million adults in the United States—equaling 7.1% of all adults in the country—have experienced a major depressive episode in the past year

• 11 million U.S. adults experienced an episode that resulted in severe impairment in the past year

• Nearly 50% of all people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder

It’s estimated that 15% of the adult population will experience depression at some point in their lifetime.

I am posting this because many people, like me, suffered with depression for years, without proper diagnosis…

If… you are not feeling “right” or “normal” please see your primary care doctor, and write down your symptoms before the appointment… Depression tends to make me “unorganized” in my thoughts, so you want to be sure you have everything written down on paper!

Don’t “suffer in silence” like I did for so many years! I do NOT agree with the term “mental illness” regarding depression. And… neither does my current primary care physician!

My Dr. “M” considers depression a “mood disorder” and nowhere near “mental illness”! Remember that!

The miracle of my redemption is that my body does NOT make enough of the hormones Serotonin and Dopamine. Taking a pill daily, that gives me the necessary amount of these two hormones gives me a life of hope and happiness and the “mood disorder” of Depression is completely gone!