• Major depression affects approximately 15 million American adults or about 8% of the U.S. population
age 18 and older in a given year.
• Bipolar disorder (manic depression) affects approximately 6 million American adults or about 3%
of the population in a given year.
• Women experience depression about twice as often as men.
• Over their lifetime about 12% of women will have clinical depression.
• Approximately 80% of people experiencing depression are not currently receiving any treatment.
• 80-90% of people who live with a serious mental illness are unemployed.
• More than 90% of persons who die by suicide have a diagnosable mental illness, commonly
a depressive disorder.
• Approximately 4% of adolescents develop serious depression each year. Suicide is the third leading
cause of death for ages 10 to 24.
• Depression is also known to weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to other
medical illnesses.
• By the year 2020, depression will be the 2nd most common health problem in the world.
• Depression is one of the most treatable illnesses: 80-90% find relief.

Source: PBS Depression Statistics