Many people suffer from depression. A staggering 5 percent of adult populations worldwide are affected by depression.

One of the key factors in the global burden of illness is depression, which is also a major source of impairment worldwide.

Depression disproportionately affects women. Suicidality is a possible outcome of depression.

Depression is a widespread illness globally, with approximately 3.8% of the individuals impacted, particularly 5.0% between adults and 5.7% by many persons over the age of 60.

There are about 280 million depressed persons around the globe. Depression is distinct from normal mood swings and quick emotional reactions to day-to-day stresses.

Anxiety and depression can harm your health, particularly if they occur frequently and are quite intense.

The affected individual may experience significant distress and have impaired performance in professional, academic, and interpersonal settings. 

Suicide is a possible outcome of severe depression. Each year, suicide claims the lives of more than 700,000 people worldwide.

Among people aged 15–29, suicide ranks as the fourth most common cause of death. All three degrees of depression can be effectively treated.

How Common Is Depression?

One of the most prevalent psychological diseases in the United States is major depression.

According to a 2017 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) research, an anticipated 17.3 million adults in the United States claimed to have at least one major depression over a year.

That amounts to 7.1% of the entire adult population. 

Eight percent of women and five percent of adult men will experience a significant depressive episode in any given year.

For the working population specifically, depression is devastating because it is the largest cause of disability worldwide. 

The annual cost of major depressive disorder in the USA is projected to be $210.5 billion.

This estimate includes the costs of lost workdays, decreased productivity, depression medication, and suicide.

Prevalence Of Depression

Suffering from depression is not uncommon. Depression affects around 280 million individuals worldwide, or about 5% of all adults and 5.7% of all persons over 60, as of 2019 estimates.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health Trusted Source, 19.4 million American adults experienced at least one severe depressive disorder in 2019. 

Seven point eight percent of the adult population in the United States.

However, the number of persons suffering from depression may be higher because many don’t seek treatment for their condition.

Almost 60% of persons with depression, according to research from 2021, are reluctant to seek professional help.

This is likely attributable to the negative connotations associated with mental illness.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 75% of persons in low- and middle-income countries never receive therapy for depression due to treatment hurdles.

Demographics

A depressive episode might appear at any point in life, and it is not a race- or socioeconomically-specific.

Some demographic data about those who struggle with depression are included below.

• Depressive symptoms typically appear between the ages of 32.5 and 40.5.
• Adults aged 18–25 have the highest rate of serious depressive disorder.
• Adults who identify as having two or more races are more likely to suffer major depressive episodes (11.3 percent vs. 10.7 percent).
• Women make up 8.7 percent of the depressed population.
• Depression affects 5.3% of men, on average.

A survey done by the CDC showed that the incidence of depression reduces among people as income support levels increase.

The researchers don’t try to guess why, although a higher salary might mean less worry about money and easier accessibility to mental health care.

The poll also indicated that the estimated prevalence among men and women has been relatively stable over the last decade.

According to the studies, about twice as many women as males suffer from depression.

The specific reasons for this difference in prevalence between the sexes are unknown; however, it is thought that hormonal differences, external stressors, and other similar factors all play a role in women’s higher rates.

How Is Depression Diagnosed? What Are Its Symptoms?

The NHS advises seeking medical attention if depressive symptoms persist for more than two weeks and affect daily functioning.

Doctors consult reference books to arrive at their diagnoses. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases is the reference book used by NHS physicians (ICD-10).

Whenever you go to the doctor, they utilize the ICD-10 guidelines to determine what symptoms to check for.

A depressive disorder diagnosis is possible even without all of these symptoms. Some of them may have recently happened to you.

Common signs of depression include:

• Emotional distress, such as sadness, irritability, or anger
• Having reduced stamina for some activities,
• Losing interest in or pleasure from previously enjoyable activities,
• Diminished ability to focus,
• Exhibiting increased sluggishness.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we have answered how many people have depression. Fortunately, depression can be effectively treated.

However, only around 50% of Americans identified as being depressed in a given year receive therapy.

Patients seeking care often have to wait long periods before receiving therapy. Most people who seek help for depression are not given adequate care.

Consistent with previous research, it has been found that a pharmaceutical and treatment combination can be the most effective method of treating depression.

Guidelines-based care is only provided to about one-fifth of the population. About one-third of adults who suffer from depression don’t get any help.