The first thing anyone should know about depression is that it is a disease just like any other that needs to be treated by a doctor. Having any form of depression is not an indication of weakness in your character or a flaw in your being. It is simply a physiological response to a chemical imbalance within the body and can be readily treated with various forms of medication and natural therapies. When you cannot seem to get over being sad or symptoms of depression last for two weeks or more you should see a doctor to be evaluated for depression. Depression can have an impact on your entire life and cause untold troubles in your work, personal affairs, ability to sleep and alter your eating habits. You may gain or lose weight, you may become irritable or anxious and in rare cases you may even suffer from hallucinations. This illness is one that must be treated and requires the attention of a medical professional for diagnosis, treatment and supervision. It is well known in depression statistics that many people who do suffer from depression have more than one form of it present most of the time.
Depression Statistics
With the understanding recently reached about depression being that it is a phenomenon suffered by many, researchers have done extensive research and come up with depression statistics for just about everything involved. Depression statistics are as follows:
Approximately 22% of all adult Americans suffer from some degree of depression each year. This equals over 44 million people. Of the total population, about 9% of the population suffers from a depressive disorder rather than just a depressive event.
Various forms of depression make up about 40% of all disability cases in the US each year.
Depression affects about twice as many women as men
Approximately 5% of school age children suffer from some form of psychosis and preschoolers have the fastest growing market usage of antidepressants for clinical depression. The rate of increase in antidepressant usage among this group is 23% per year.
Depressive disorders often come along with substance abuse (alcohol or drug)
The average onset of depressive disorders is about mid-twenties, though it can develop at any age.
In developed countries, about 15 % of any given population suffers from depression
Most people are embarrassed to be diagnosed with depression. About half of all people thing depression is a sign of weakness of character and 41% of depressed women are too embarrassed to get help for the illness according to depression statistics.
80 % of all depressed people seek no help. 92 % of African American males do not seek treatment. 15% of all depressed people commit suicide.
By 2020, depression will be the second largest cause of death, following heart disease.
Depression is a leading cause for people staying home from work. It costs US employers over 50 billion dollars each year in medical bills, drug bills and lost productivity.
Depression can express itself in the body as chronic pain.
Depression statistics are increasingly linking depression to various diseases which include diabetes, heart disease, eye disease, pain and osteoporosis.
