Depression: Fast Facts

Reviewed By:
Steven A. King, M.D.

• Depression affects about 15 million American adults each year.
  
  
• Depression affects women nearly twice as often as men.
  
  
• As many as one out of every eight women will develop depression in her lifetime.
  
  
• Anyone can develop depression, regardless of their age, race or social class.
  
  
• Many people with depression do not even realize that they are depressed and initially see their primary care doctor to treat what they believe is a physical disorder.
  
  
• Depression cannot be prevented. However, more than 80 percent of people who have it can be treated successfully with psychotherapy, medical therapy or a combination of both.
  
  
• Although a depressive episode can last from a few weeks to many years, most episodes last between six and nine months.
  
  
• Antidepressant medications include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
  
  
• The risk of depression may be as high as 25 percent in first-degree relatives (parents, children and siblings) of patients with a history of depression.
  
  
• About one-third of depressed individuals also suffer from some form of substance abuse or dependence, although for some, the depression is a result of the substance abuse problem.
  
  
• As many as 15 percent of patients with depression eventually commit suicide.
  
  
• About 5 to 10 percent of people who have had a depressive episode actually have bipolar disorder and eventually have a manic episode (elevated mood and excessive energy and optimism). If their depression occurs before a manic episode, they may be misdiagnosed as depressed.
  
  
• Depression is commonly associated with other conditions, including eating disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder.
  
  
• Depression is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States and internationally.