as of 2022. Depression is characterized by protracted feelings of sadness and hopelessness that can affect one’s sleeping and eating habits, social and work life, and daily activities. Symptoms of depression include a loss of interest in things that used to be enjoyable, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, and thoughts of death or suicide. Different forms of depression include postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and psychotic depression. Depression, and mental health in general, were recently brought to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic which saw normal life severely disrupted for much of the world. During this time
were present among a large portion of the U.S. population.
How common is depression?
Depression in the United States is more common among women than men, with around 3.5 percent of men suffering from depression compared to just under six percent of women. The most common age at which adults experienced a major depressive episode as of 2023 was between 18 and 25 years, with up to 21 percent of
women aged 18 to 20 years reporting such an episode in the past year.
Depression is also common among youth, with up to 27.3 percent of teenage girls and almost 9.4 percent of boys experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year as of 2023.
Suicide risk and treatment
Depression is a leading cause or risk factor for
suicide, highlighting the importance of diagnosis and treatment. This is clear in the fact that in 2021 around 72 percent of
suicide victims in the U.S. suffered from depression. As of 2023, around 31 percent of adults with a major depressive episode had
serious thoughts of suicide in the past year, while nearly 11 percent made suicide plans, and 3.8 percent attempted suicide. Despite the seriousness of depression, it is one of the most treatable mental disorders, with the majority of patients finding relief through medication, therapy, or life changes. The most common types of
professionals seen for a major depressive episode are general practitioners or family doctors, psychiatrists or psychotherapists, and counselors.
This text provides general information. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ assumes no
liability for the information given being complete or correct.
Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date
data than referenced in the text.
