Depression Statistics

Depression is common in the United States and internationally. Depression statistics indicate that an estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older-about 1 in 5 adults-suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 1998 U.S. Census residential population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people.

In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders-major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.

Depression statistics from the commission on mental health concluded that one person in seven living in the United States, would at some or the other time require professional treatment for emotional disturbances.

Additionally some 12% of school age children are clinically depressed and some 3-6 % of the aged population suffers from depression. Nearly twice as many women (12.0 percent) as men (6.6 percent) are affected by a depressive disorder each year. These figures translate to 12.4 million women and 6.4 million men in the U.S.

Depressive disorders may be appearing earlier in life in people born in recent decades compared to the past.

Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

Major Depression Statistics:

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and established market economies worldwide. Major depressive disorder affects approximately 9.9 million American adults, or about 5.0 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. While major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the average age at onset is the mid-twenties.

Dysthymic disorder depression statistics:

Symptoms of dysthymic disorder (chronic, mild depression) must persist for at least 2 years in adults (1 year in children) to meet criteria for the diagnosis. It affects approximately 5.4 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older during their lifetime. This figure translates to about 10.9 million American adults.

About 40 percent of adults with dysthymic disorder also meet criteria for major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder in a given year.

It often begins in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.

Bipolar depression statistics:

Bipolar Disorder is the form of depressive illness in which the sufferer has periods of being on a high, as well as periods of depression.

Bipolar disorder affects approximately 2.3 million American adults, or about 1.2 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.

Men and women are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder. Like any serious illness, bipolar disorder also creates problems for spouses, family members, friends, and employers.

Bipolar disorder tends to run in families, and there is strong evidence that it is inherited. However, despite ongoing research efforts, a specific genetic defect associated with the disease has not yet been identified.

Bipolar illness has been diagnosed in children under age 12, although it is not common in this age bracket. The symptoms can be confused with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, so careful diagnosis is necessary.

More than 2 million Americans have manic-depressive illness. It is extremely distressing and disruptive to their lives. Family members of people with bipolar disorder often have to cope with serious behavioral problems (such as wild spending sprees) and the lasting consequences of these behaviors.

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