Depression Loves Everybody

It's true. Depression loves everybody. No matter what age. But nobody loves it. You'd think it would feel rejected and go away, but it doesn't. It loves to stick around. That is, until you do something that sends it catapulting into the deep water.

What segment of the population do you think experiences this disorder the most? Research indicates it is the ladies, but everybody else is catching up.

Here are some stats. Almost seven percent of the American population is affected. The average age of the onset of depression is thirty two years. Females experience this disorder at twice the rate of males. There are no differences in the rates of females based on race, ethnicity, or income. One in eight adolescents and one in thirty three kids are clinically depressed. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in fifteen to twenty-four-year-olds, with young males leading this group, and the fourth leading cause of death in kids between the ages of ten and fourteen.

Depression also plays a big role in the lives of the elderly. Approximately six million people are affected in later-life, but only about ten percent receive treatment. The suicide rate for older adults is fifty percent higher than for the rest of the nation.

Amidst all the doom and gloom, however, there is some good news.Eighty percent of those who receive treatment show an improvement in their symptoms within four to six weeks.

What helps fight depression? Medication and therapy. For information on how this disorder affects different groups of the population, click on the tabs on the home page.
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