Depression Loves EverybodyIt's true. Depression loves everybody. Kids, teenagers, men, women. But nobody loves depression. You'd think depression would feel rejected and go away, but it doesn't. Depression 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 depression the most? Research indicates it is adult women, but guys, kids, teenagers and the elderly are catching up. Here are some stats. Clinical depression affects almost seven percent of the American population. The average age of onset is thirty two years. Women experience depression at twice the rate of men. There are no differences in the rates of female depression based on race, ethnicity or income. One in eight adolescents and one in thirty three children 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 is a big problem in the elderly. Approximately six million people are affected by late-life depression, 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 for depression show an improvement in their symptoms within four to six weeks.
While some of the reasons for depression among the different groups are similar (predispositions, chemicals,) others vary. On different pages we will look at the various groups. For childhood depression, click on
Why Kids Get Depressed.
To learn about teen depression, click on
Adolescence Can be Awful.
For information on male and female depression, click on
Adulthood is Supposed to be Easier.
And for information of Elderly Depression, click on
Aren't They Supposed to be the Golden Years?
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