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Depression Statistics

Who Is Affected by Depression?

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: In 2021

  • An estimated 21.0 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 8.3% of all U.S. adults.
  • The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adult females (10.3%) compared to males (6.2%).
  • The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25 (18.6%).
  • The prevalence of major depressive episode was highest among those who report having multiple (two or more) races (13.9%).

Depression often co-occurs with other illnesses and medical conditions.

  • Cancer: 25% of cancer patients experience depression. (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002)
  • Strokes: 10-27% of post-stroke patients experience depression. (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002)
  • Heart attacks: 1 in 3 heart attack survivors experience depression. (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002)
  • Adults with coronary artery disease are 59 percent more likely to have a future adverse cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or cardiac death. (National Institute of Health, Heart disease and depression: A two-way relationship, 2017)
  • HIV: Depression is the second most common mental health condition among patients living with HIV.  (Rabkin, J. G. (2008). HIV and depression: 2008 review and update. Current HIV/AIDS Reports, 5(4), 163-171. doi:10.1007/s11904-008-0025-1)
  • Parkinson’s Disease: 50% of Parkinson’s disease patients may experience depression. (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002)
  • Eating Disorders: 33-50% of anorexia patients have a comorbid mood disorder, such as depression.
    (Ulfvebrand, S., Birgegard, A., Norring, C., Hogdahl, L., & von Hausswolff-Juhlin, Y. (2015). Psychiatric comorbidity in women and men with eating disorders results from a large clinical database. Psychiatry Research, 230(2), 294-299.)
  • Substance use: Over 20%  of Americans with an anxiety or mood disorder such as depression have an alcohol or other substance use disorder (both alcohol and other substances) experience depression. (National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions 2001 – 2006)
  • Substance use: Over 20% of Americans living with a substance use disorder also currently live with a mood disorder, such as depression. (National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions 2001 – 2006)
  • Diabetes: 1/3 of persons with diabetes experience depression. (Holt RI, de Groot M, Golden SH. Diabetes and depression. Curr Diab Rep. 2014 Apr 18;14(6):-. doi: 10.1007/s11892-014-0491-3.)
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome: About 20% of women living with polycystic ovary syndrome experience depression. (Damone, A. L., Joham, A. E., Loxton, D., Earnest, A., Teede, H. J., & Moran, L. J. (2018). Depression, anxiety and perceived stress in women with and without PCOS: A community-based study. Psychological Medicine, 49(09), 1510-1520. doi:10.1017/s0033291718002076)

Depression and the Elderly

  • 7 million adults aged 65 years and older are affected by depression. (Centers for Disease Control, 2009)
  • More than 1 in 6 Americans working full-time or part-time report assisting with the care of an elderly or disabled family member, relative, or friend. A survey of these adult caregivers found that 40% to 70% of them have clinically significant symptoms of depression. (Family Caregiver Alliance, 2006, 2011)

Women and Depression

  • Women are almost twice as likely as men to have had depression. (Centers for Disease Control “Prevalence of Depression Among Adults 20 and Over: United States, 2013-2016”, 2017)
  • Postpartum mood changes can range from transient “blues” immediately following childbirth to an episode of major depression and even to severe, incapacitating, psychotic depression. Studies suggest that women who experience major depression after childbirth very often have had prior depressive episodes even though they may not have been diagnosed.
  • Women who have major depressive disorder (MDD) can have an increased risk of Low Bone Mass which can lead to fractures and can contribute to their risk for osteoporosis. Women living with MDD showed a higher prevalence of Low Bone Mass 17% compared to 2% of women who did not report having MDD. (Eskandari F, Martinez PE, Torvik S, et al. Low Bone Mass in Premenopausal Women With Depression. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(21):2329–2336. doi:10.1001/archinte.167.21.2329)

Economic Impact of Depression

  • Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. (World Health Organization, 2017)
  • Neuropsychiatric disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. with major depressive disorder being the most common (National Institute of Mental Health, “U.S. Leading Categories of Diseases/Disorders,” 2013)
  • Mental Health (Depression, grief, and behavioral conduct) is the second leading workplace concern, following only family issues. (Employee Assistance Professionals Association Survey, 2017)
  • Depression contributes to the estimated $100 billion annual cost of depression for U.S. employers, including $44 billion a year in lost productivity alone. (Beck et al., 2014; Stewart, Ricci, Chee, Hahn, & Morganstein, 2003)
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