Mental Health and Depression Statistics

Mental Disorder Statistics in America

Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older-about 1 in 5 adults-suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 1998 U.S. Census residential population estimate, this figure translates to 44.3 million people. In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the U.S. and other developed countries are mental disorders-major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.

The commission on mental health concluded that one person in seven living in the United States, would at some or the other time require professional treatment for emotional disturbances. Additionally some 12% of school age children are clinically maladjusted and some 3-6 % of the aged population suffers from organic psychoses. The statistic have not improved over the last several years in fact they reflect only the tip of the iceberg, many people live their lives, or episodes of their lives, in quite suffering and desperation needing but never seeking, professional intervention.

Depression Statistics

Depressive disorders encompass major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is included because people with this illness have depressive episodes as well as manic episodes.

Approximately 18.8 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a depressive disorder.
Nearly twice as many women (12.0 percent) as men (6.6 percent) are affected by a depressive disorder each year. These figures translate to 12.4 million women and 6.4 million men in the U.S.
Depressive disorders may be appearing earlier in life in people born in recent decades compared to the past.
Depressive disorders often co-occur with anxiety disorders and substance abuse.

Major Depression Statistics

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and established market economies worldwide.
Major depressive disorder affects approximately 9.9 million American adults, or about 5.0 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.
Nearly twice as many women (6.5 percent) as men (3.3 percent) suffer from major depressive disorder each year. These figures translate to 6.7 million women and 3.2 million men.
While major depressive disorder can develop at any age, the average age at onset is the mid-twenties.

Dysthymic disorder (depression) statistics.

Bipolar disorder (depression) satistics in elder and adolescent.

Teen depression and suicide satistics.