Facts & Statistics

Did You Know?

• Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions in the US.
• According to the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), about 17.3 million adults (=7.3% of all US adults) in the US had at least one major depressive episode in the previous year. About 11 million adults (=4.5% of all US adults) ‘had at least one major depressive episode with severe impairment’. Rates of depression were higher among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. About ‘35% of adults with major depressive episode did not receive treatment’ (NIMH).
• 'Percent of office visits with depression indicated on the medical record: 9.3%’ (CDC)
• Nearly 21% of adults in the United States will go on to develop Major Depressive Disorder at some point in their lives (Hasin et al).
• ‘Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide’ (WHO).
• The rates of depression have been rising among adolescents in the United States. Greater than 1 in 20 children age 6 to 17 in the United States, in 2011-2012, were found to have current anxiety or depression by parent report. (Bitsko et al 2018)
• According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2017, about 3.2 million adolescents age 12-17 years in the US (13.3 of all US teens ages 12 to 17) ‘had at least one major depressive episode’ (NIMH). About 60% of adolescents with a major depressive episode did not get treatment (NIMH).

ADAA Depression Website Pages

• Depression Symptoms
• Depression Treatment and Management
• Tips to Manage Depression
• FAQs

ADAA Depression Webinars and Blog Posts

• Depression: How to Recognize it and How to Treat it - ADAA free public webinar
• Can Yoga Help with Depression? What Does the Research Say? - ADAA free public webinar
• Depresión y ansiedad en niños/Anxiety and Depression in Children - Spanish psychoeducational video - ADAA free public webinar
• Depresión/Depression - ADAA free public webinar
• Depression Among College Students - ADAA free public webinar
• Depression and Heart Disease: Chicken and the Egg, and What You Can Do - ADAA free public webinar
• For My Anxiety or Depression: Should I Use Medication or Therapy? - ADAA  free public webinar
• How to Help Depressed and Suicidal Teenagers - ADAA free public webinar
• Asking Your Pharmacist About Medications for Anxiety and Depression - ADAA free public webinar
• Anxiety, Depression, and the LGBTQ Community: Thriving Through the Challenges - ADAA free public webinar
• Exercise Against Anxiety and Depression - ADAA free public webinar
• Our Kids: Anxiety and Depression - ADAA free public webinar
• Treatments for Anxious and Depressed Kids and Teens - ADAA free public webinar
• Bullying, Anxiety, and Depression - ADAA free public webinar
• What Is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and How Is It Used to Treat Anxiety and Depression? - ADAA free public webinar
• Depression: What You Need to Know About Medications - ADAA free public webinar
• Genetics of Depression and Anxiety: What Do Clinicians Need to Know? - ADAA professional webinar
• Mindfulness Over Matter: Integrating Mindfulness Into the Treatment of Depression - Presented in Partnership with The Child Mind Institute - ADAA professional webinar
• Management of Treatment Resistant Depression - ADAA professional webinar
• Introduction to the Magic of CBT for Anxiety, OCD, and Depression - ADAA professional webinar
• Psychotherapy for GAD and Comorbid Major Depression - ADAA professional webinar
• Childhood Depression - ADAA blog post
• Watch, Ask and Listen: How to Tell if Your Child or Teen is Anxious or Depressed - ADAA blog post
• How Do You Talk to Your Loved One Suffering With Depression? - ADAA blog post
• Revolutionizing Depression Treatment with Digital Therapeutics - ADAA blog post
• Dealing with Valentine's Day Depression - ADAA blog post
• Criticism: Depression and Anxiety - ADAA blog post
• Can CBD Help with My Anxiety and Depression - ADAA blog post
• Influences of Cultural Differences in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety and Depression - ADAA blog post
• Revolutionizing Depression Treatment with Digital Therapeutics - ADAA blog post
• Heart Disease and Depression Often Go Hand in Hand: WomenHeart Can Help - ADAA blog post
• Depression Among College Students - ADAA blog post
• Anxiety and Depression in Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals - ADAA blog post
• Dr. Chris’s Techniques For Lessening Anxiety And Depression - ADAA blog post
• Seniors Coping with Anxiety and Depression - ADAA blog post
• Depression and Daily Life - ADAA blog post
• Alleviating Anxiety, Stress and Depression with the Pet Effect - ADAA blog post
• What is Depression and How Do I Know If I Have It? - ADAA blog post
• Women and Depression - ADAA blog post
• Depression Treatment – It Works - ADAA blog post
• Understanding Anxiety and Depression for LGBTQ People - ADAA blog post

ADAA Additional Resources

• Find an ADAA Therapist
• ADAA's Free Peer-to-Peer Online Community
• ADAA National Support Group Listing
• Types of Therapy
• Types of Mental Health Care Professionals
• Medication

Community Resources

• National Institute of Mental Health
• World Health Organization
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• Hope for Depression Research Foundation
• BlueCross BlueShield
• Child Mind Insititute
• Let's Talk About Depression, HealthCentral.com (Jan/Feb 2020) - Series of articles about the signs, types, and treatment for depression disorders, with ADAA CMO and Board Member Dr. Charles Nemeroff.
• Faster and Easier Approaches for Improving Patients' Depression Treatment Outcomes, CareForYourMind.org, ADAA Member Michael Thase, MD
• I Had a Black Dog, His Name Was Depression
• Major Depression: The Impact on Overall Health
• Depression Stories on The Mighty
• Disability Benefits
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) 
• 6 Ways You Can Help an Older Adult with Depression, Junomedical.com

Content on this page was provided by ADAA member Richa Bhatia, MD, FAPA, Dual Board Certified Psychiatrist on November 2, 2020

References on this page:

• https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/cbhsqreports/NSDUHDetailedTabs2017/NSDUHDetailedTabs2017.pdf. Accessed on Nov 1, 2020.
• https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml. Accessed on Nov 1, 2020.
• https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/depression.htm. Accessed on Oct 25, 2020.
• Hasin DS, Sarvet AL, Meyers JL, et al. Epidemiology of Adult DSM-5 Major Depressive Disorder and Its Specifiers in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry. 2018;75(4):336–346. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.4602
• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression.  Accessed on Nov 1, 2020.
  https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/chronic-illness-mental-health/index.shtml. Accessed on Oct 25, 2020.
• Bitsko RH, Holbrook JR, Ghandour RM, et al. Epidemiology and Impact of Health Care Provider-Diagnosed Anxiety and Depression Among US Children. J Dev Behav Pediatr.
  2018;39(5):395-403. doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000000571
• Katon WJ. Epidemiology and treatment of depression in patients with chronic medical illness. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2011;13(1):7-23.
• Steffen, A., Nübel, J., Jacobi, F. et al. Mental and somatic comorbidity of depression: a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis of 202 diagnosis groups using German
  nationwide ambulatory claims data. BMC Psychiatry 20, 142 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02546-8
• Van der Kooy K, van Hout H, Marwijk H, Marten H, Stehouwer C, Beekman A.Depression and the risk for cardiovascular diseases: systematic review and meta analysis. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2007 Jul;22(7):613-26. doi: 10.1002/gps.1723. PMID:17236251.
• Spijkerman T, de Jonge P, van den Brink RH, Jansen JH, May JF, Crijns HJ, Ormel J. Depression following myocardial infarction: first-ever versus ongoing and recurrent episodes. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2005 Nov-Dec;27(6):411-7. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2005.05.007. PMID: 16271655.
• Mezuk B, Eaton WW, Albrecht S, Golden SH. Depression and type 2 diabetes over the lifespan: a meta-analysis. Diabetes Care. 2008 Dec;31(12):2383-90. doi: 10.2337/dc08-0985. PMID: 19033418; PMCID: PMC2584200.
• Oladeji BD, Gureje O. The comorbidity between depression and diabetes. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2013 Sep;15(9):390. doi: 10.1007/s11920-013-0390-3. PMID: 23933977.
• https://www.cdc.gov/aging/mentalhealth/depression.htm. Accessed on Nov 1, 2020

^{Note: This website page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical or psychiatric advice or recommendations, or diagnostic or treatment opinion. This is not a complete review or description of this subject. If you suspect a medical or psychiatric condition, please consult a health care provider. All decisions regarding an individual’s care must be made in consultation with your healthcare provider, considering the individuals’ unique condition. If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact the 24x7, confidential National Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or use the crisis text line by texting HOME to 741741 in the US, or go to http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html for the suicide hotline number for your country.}