5% of U.S. Population Is Depressed
About 5% of Americans aged 12 and older suffer from depression, according to a National Center for Health Statistics study; and, among these, 80% say depression interferes with some aspect of daily living - such as work, household chores or social situations.
A 5% rate of depression, while less than expected, still translates into a large cost for the U.S. economy with "almost two-thirds of the estimated $83 billion that depression cost the United States in 2000 resulting from lowered productivity and workplace absenteeism."
The authors also report that not enough people are seeking help for their depression. For example, among those with moderate or severe depression symptoms, less than a third had seen a mental health professional for assistance.
People don't get treatment, say the authors, because they don't realize they have a treatable illness, they don't believe treatment works or they're afraid of the stigma surrounding the illness. There is also a lack of insurance coverage for mental illness, say the authors.
Other findings include:
- Higher rates of depression among those aged 40-59, women and non-Hispanic blacks.
- Women were more likely than men to be depressed.
- Non-Hispanic blacks were more likely to be depressed than Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic whites.
- The poor were more likely to be depressed than those living above the poverty level.
The findings, which appear on the CDC website, came from analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), which was conducted in 2005-2006.
Comments
“5% of U.S. Population Is Depressed”…Yeah, right. There is no way this was a complete, comprehensive and well-done study. I have read many other studies that put the figure closer to 15-20%. You can believe whatever percentage you’d like, but no way it is only 5%. And they even dragged up that old standard line that “women are more likely to be depressed than men”. Bull. This fallacy has been floating around with the old school researchers and specialists for years. You cannot say “women are more likely to be depressed”, and have it be accurate. What you can say is “women are more likely to report and seek help for depression than men”. Until we recognize the stigma, ego, and machismo attitude that skews the way men think about depression, and figure out how to break those barriers down, you will not have an accurate number of the men who are actually depressed.