12 facts about depression and suicide in America : Part 1 of 12

12 facts about depression and suicide in America

Robin Williams' death is, first and foremost, a horrible tragedy for his family and friends. For the public at large, it's a dark reminder that depression and suicide are shockingly common, both in America and in the world, and radically under-diagnosed and under-treated. Here are 12 things you need to know to understand the gravity of the threat depression poses.

1) Almost one in fifteen American adults suffers from depression

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 6.9 percent of Americans aged 18 or older (about 16 million people) had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.

Such an episode is defined as "a period of two weeks or longer during which there is either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure, and at least four other symptoms that reflect a change in functioning, such as problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, and self-image."

Depression is more common among women and young people. Note that these findings are based on a survey, and the social stigma surrounding depression may make it look less prevalent than it really is:

(NIMH)

It is important to remember that major depressive disorder is not the only prevalent mood disorder. 2.6 percent of Americans suffer from bipolar disorder and 1.5 percentsuffer from dysthymic disorder, or "chronic low-level depression." In total, 9.5 percent of Americans suffer from a mood disorder of any kind.

The US is roughly in the middle of the pack globally in terms of depression rates, according to a recent study in PLoS Medicine. Countries in green are in the middle, while those in blue or purple have less depression than average and those with redder coloring have more:

(Ferrari et al, 2013)