What Is the Prevalence of Depression?

Depression disorders can range from mild to moderate to severe in terms of how they affect a person's ability to function. They can develop in children, teenagers, adults and senior citizens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report as many as 17 million Americans suffer from this condition each year.

Identification

• The prevalence of depression disorders within the U.S. population has decreased overall work productivity and contributed to increased rates of absenteeism. As much as $44 billion dollars per year are lost in productivity and total treatment costs. Its resulting effects on a person's quality of life impairs his ability to carry out everyday tasks. Individuals who suffer from this disorder, and those within their immediate families, are all affected by the debilitating effects of this condition.

Types

• There are four different categories of depression disorders: major depression, bipolar depression, dysthymic disorder and adjustment disorder depression. Major depression is the most severe form of the condition. Hospitalizations and suicidal tendencies are often characteristic of individuals who suffer from this category. Bipolar depression involves severe mood swings, some high and others low, with symptoms of sadness, loss of interest and fatigue occurring during depressive moods. Dysthymic disorders are classified as mild to moderate forms where individuals can experience depressive symptoms for 2 or more years at a time. Adjustment disorder depression involves episodes that are triggered by a major life crisis or tragedy.

Effects

• The symptoms of depression become most apparent when a person is no longer able to carry out necessary daily tasks. Essential life tasks such as maintaining a household, going to work, socializing with others or interacting with family are all possible areas affected. Statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2006 show much as 27 percent of the people surveyed had difficulty going to work as a result of depression symptoms, while 80 percent experienced difficulties in one or more essential life areas.

Risk Factors

• The prevalence of depression is highest in people between the ages of 40 and 59 years old. The disorder occurs in higher rates among women, African Americans and low-income populations. The number of people who actually seek treatment for their symptoms is unusually low, with only 29 percent of those surveyed reported having sought some form of treatment. When left untreated, it's not uncommon for symptoms to trigger other medical conditions. Depression has been identified as the number one cause of disability worldwide, based on data from the World Heath Organization.

Treatment

• For those who do opt to seek help for depression symptoms, medication and psychotherapy are the most common treatment approaches used. Medication treatments are designed to treat the chemical imbalances associated with depression symptoms. While effective in many cases, the likelihood of experiencing side effects is high. Psychotherapy treatments involve helping individuals correct faulty thinking patterns, which in turn alleviates the emotional symptoms experienced with depression. Both medication and psychotherapy treatments may be administered to those who suffer from the more severe forms of this condition.