1 in 10 Americans Experience Depression
New Statistics Show Depression Now Targeting Baby Boomers

WebMD Medical News Oct. 4, 2005 -

More than one in 20 Americans has experienced major depression in the last 12 months and more than one in 10 has experienced the mental illness at some point in life, according to a new national survey.

The results show that for the first time, middle-aged baby boomers are more likely to have experienced depression than young adults, marking a major shift in depression age distribution. Other groups more likely to report a history of depression include:
* Women
* Native Americans
* Widowed, separated, or divorced men and women
* Low-income individuals

Researchers also found that the average duration of a major depression episode was six months rather than the four months found in previous studies. Major depression was defined as two or more weeks of persistent depressed mood accompanied by five or more symptoms of depression during that time, such as loss of interest in daily activities, changes in appetite, and feeling tired all the time.

Depression in the U.S. Researchers say it's the largest survey ever on depression and co-existing disorders and offers a better picture of how the mental illness affects Americans. The study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, was based on analysis of data from face-to-face interviews with more than 43,000 adults as part of a 2001-2002 survey on alcohol and related conditions, including depression. The results showed that 5.3% of U.S. adults experienced major depression in the 12 months preceding the survey and 13.2% had experienced major depression in their lifetime.

Who's at Risk for Depression?

The highest lifetime risk of depression was among baby boomers aged 45 to 64, which researchers say is a shift from younger adults who were most at risk for depression in surveys conducted in the 1980s and 1990s.

The study showed that the risk of depression increases dramatically between ages 12 and 16, followed by a more gradual rise in risk until the early 40s when it begins to decline. Researchers found about 60% of people with depression received treatment specifically for the disorder. Other findings of the study include:
* Of people with depression, nearly one-half said they wanted to die, one-third considered suicide, and about 9% attempted suicide.
* Among racial and ethnic groups, Native Americans had the highest prevalence of depression in their lifetime at 19%, followed by whites (15%), Hispanics (10%), blacks (9%), and Asian or Pacific Islanders (9%).
* Current and lifetime depression was also frequently associated with alcohol or drug use, smoking, and other mental disorders, such as personality and anxiety disorders.

Mental disorders set to rise, UN says Depression will be

second leading cause of death by 2020

REUTERS Jan. 9, 2001— Mental and neurological disorders — ranging from depression to Alzheimer’s and epilepsy — strike 400 million people globally and are set to surge in the next two decades, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. By 2020, depression would jump to be the second greatest cause of death and disability worldwide, following ischemic heart disease, the United Nations health agency predicted.

Mental and neurological disorders represent 11 percent of the “global burden of disease,” a figure based on mortality and disability, according to Saraceno. The figure is expected to represent 14 percent in 2020, he said. Saraceno: “The good news is that mental health treatment does not require very expensive infrastructure.” “We know that 70 percent of those suffering from major depression can fully recover if properly treated,” he added. “We can expect a decrease in suicides if we are properly treating depressed people.”

ONE MILLION SUICIDES Globally, there are one million suicides a year out of a total of 10 million attempts, he added. The top 10 countries for suicide are composed of all former Soviet Union states, led by Russia, where many are reeling in economic and social upheaval. Schizophrenia, a chronic disorder, affects 45 million people worldwide, with about half of the victims achieving full “social recovery,” according to Saraceno. He praised India and China for their programs for treating and supporting schizophrenic patients, combing use of generic psychotropic drugs and human resources. “Different diseases are prominent in different regions, with one exception. Schizophrenia is ubiquitous — you will find the same rate of schizophrenia in Los Angeles and central Africa, probably because there is a very strong genetic component.”

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