34 Deeply Disturbing Depression Statistics for 2024

Depression Statistics

Hopefully, our depression statistics will raise your awareness and help you help yourself, or your loved ones.

Did you know aggression and irritability are depression symptoms? Or that backache can be an early indicator as well? There are a lot of factors contributing to the disease that are not so easily recognized — hence the increase in the rates of depression. Moreover, Covid19  and lockdowns have certainly pushed some people to the edge.

Let’s shine the light on some factors and stats that will help us understand the issue better, and hopefully inspire prevention:

Top 10 Depression Statistics for 2024

  • Major depressive disorder is the most frequently diagnosed depression type.
  • The majority of people suffering from depression do not receive the right treatment.
  • 1.9 million children are struggling with depression.
  • Cannabis can reduce anxiety and depression symptoms.
  • Both adoptive and biological parents can suffer from PPD.
  • Antidepressants may increase suicide risk in teens.
  • Men with depression are more likely to die by suicide than women.
  • Anyone can become ill with depression.
  • 50% of all mental disorders start by the age of 14.
  • Young people’s suicide rates have escalated by 56%.

Try not to get depressed as you scroll down, but if you do, we’ve also got some recommendations on how to fight it.

Mental Health Statistics

Let’s get a general idea about how mental health is affected.

1. 1 in 5 Americans lives with some type of mental illness.

(NIMH)

Nearly 51.5 million of adult Americans live with mild, moderate, and severe mental illness. That means 20.6% of the population struggles with some kind of a mental disorder.

2. 50% of all mental disorders start by the age of 14.

(Mental Health Aid)

Three-quarters of mental illnesses begin by the time one turns 24. Moreover, of all the adults who develop a mental disorder during one year, 6% will possibly have three or more.

3. Depression facts and stats commonly report that women are two times more likely to suffer from depression than men.

(Mayo Clinic)

The reasons for the gender gap abound—from hormone changes, PMS, and pregnancy, to higher chances of enduring mental or physical abuse.

4. Symptoms of depression in men include irritability, anger, overeating, physical aches, and engaging in high-risk activities. 

(NIMH)

Due to the fact that anger is rarely interpreted as a sign of depression, men are oftentimes left without a diagnosis or misdiagnosed. Depression in women is not commonly associated with feelings of anger.

These are just some of the depression symptoms, but looking at depression statistics, they do vary a lot and needn’t be experienced at the same time. It should take for these to last for at least two weeks before a man is diagnosed with the disease.

5. Highly developed countries have higher rates of mental disorders.

(Guardian)

Greenland, Iran, Australia, the US, and New Zealand make the top five. In contrast, countries such as Turkey, Belgium, and Norway are very dedicated to solving the issue with a high number of specialists. 

Depression statistics report good conditions for patients in Belgium and Turkey which have over 100 mental health nurses per 100,000 people, for example. Japan leads the way with mental health beds (196 per 100,000).

6. Major depressive disorder is the most frequently diagnosed depression type.

(ADAA)

Other types include persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), premenstrual dysphoric disorder, depressive disorder due to another medical condition, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

7. Lockdown depression became the “new normal.“

(HelpGuide)

Not only did the global pandemic have a massive impact on the world’s economy, but it also had a big effect on people’s mental health. While stress, lockdowns, social distancing, and uncertainty of the future can be the main trigger for developing some type of depression for the first time, at the same time, the aforementioned situations can also worsen the symptoms of depression. 

Depression Statistics Worldwide 

Depression is often a stigmatized mental disorder that many people ignore. Even though it affects over 264 million people, only a small percentage receives proper treatment. What else do the numbers tell us?

8. Anyone can become ill with depression.

(APA)

As a myriad of factors is present, it’s possible for any individual to develop depression. Some of the contributing factors are genetics, personality type, environment, and brain chemicals.

9. Over 264 million people are suffering from depression right this moment.

(WHO

This World Health Organization mental health statistics report includes people of all ages. In the worst case, depression can lead to suicide (800,000 people commit suicide every year).

10. Improvement is evident in 80% of those who sought and received help.

(MindWise)

There is hope, despite all the grim depression facts. Four to six weeks after the start of the treatment one can expect good results.

11. The majority of people suffering from depression do not receive the right treatment.

(WHO

Regardless of the country’s GDP and its healthcare system, this is something all countries have in common. Usually, inaccurate assessment is to blame for horrible depression statistics over time.

12. 76%-85% of people from low or and middle-income countries don’t get adequate treatment for their mental illness.

(WHO

The reasons are various—from the lack of resources or trained healthcare professionals to a judgmental environment and social stigma. Furthermore, depression is oftentimes wrongly diagnosed and mistreated.

13. Bipolar disorder involves episodes of depression, mania, and normal behavior.

(WHO) (Better Help) (NAMI)

As the person is not feeling low most of the time, it’s easy to oversee the disorder. As depression is one part of it, these two are often mentioned together, though they aren’t to be equaled. 

Statistics suggest 2.8% of the American adult population is living with bipolar disorder, which is about 7 million people.

14. Teen depression rates show us that digital media and smartphones are the main reason for dissatisfaction and unhappiness among adolescents.

(Philly Voice)

To be more precise, according to one survey teenage girls are more prone to depression. In fact, 26% of them reported feeling depressed after spending about six hours per day on various social networks, while the same can’t be said for teenage boys. 18% of teenage boys claim to feel the same. 

15. Depression facts incline that it’s the main cause of disability in the world.

(WHO)

The number one reason for most years lived in disability is back pain. Depression was the leading cause in 26 countries, though.

16. Teenagers who consume marijuana are more prone to developing depression as young adults.

(Science Daily) (NHS)

While some countries have legalized marijuana fully, there is always the age restriction and depression facts and statistics are one of the reasons against. Marijuana is said to have a detrimental effect on the young brain.  

17. Men with depression are more likely to die by suicide than women.

(NIMH)

The explanation for this depression stat lies in the fact that men choose more “reliable” ways to end their lives. Therefore, do not interpret the statistic in a way that men tend to commit suicide more than women — their execution processes are just more “successful”.

18. COVID-19 depression predictions: 1 in 17 people who recovered from coronavirus are at high risk of getting diagnosed with depression or anxiety.

(BBC)

In comparison to the other illnesses, the risk is 50% greater.  In research including 62,000 people, 18% of those who had experienced Covid19 were also diagnosed with a psychiatric illness.

US Depression Statistics 

Many Americans suffer from depression and anxiety, and the number of people diagnosed with this mental illness has tripled due to the global pandemic. 

19. 19.4 million Americans have experienced at least one major depressive episode in their lives.

(SAMHSA)

What percent of the population has depression?  That is 7.8% of the adult population in the US. The occurrence was most prevalent in those aged between 18 and 25.

20. Around 33.7% of people who have a major depressive episode receive no treatment.

(SAMHSA)

Fortunately, most of the people suffering (66.3%) receive substance use treatment, 62.5% were helped by mental health services, and 2.4% go to special facilities where they recieve substance use treatment.

21. Depression during COVID-19: the depression rate in the US tripled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

(Psych Congress)

While many general traumas affect the rates, compared to the 9/11 attack and Ebola outbreak, the number of people with symptoms of depression during the pandemic is even higher than expected. 

27.8% of US adults reported feeling depression symptoms between March and April 2020.

Likewise, 24.6% of Americans reported mild depression, while 5.1% reported severe symptoms of depression. The increase is rather worrying. The figures for the same time period the previous year were 16.2% and 0.1%, respectively.

22. With 25.20% of the population suffering from depression, Oregon has the highest depression rates by state.  

(World Population Review) (OPB)

During the last few years, there was an increase in numbers by 9.17%. 

The second state is West Virginia with 24.62%, while the third place belongs to Maine that has 23.52% and a decrease in depression rate by 3.80% in the last few years. 

On the other hand, the lowest rates are recorded in Hawaii (11.76%) and New Jersey (12.98%). 

23. Between 3% and 60% of cancer patients battle with depression.

(Cure)

Although depression rates vary, they are the highest with patients that are diagnosed with some type of aggressive cancer, where chances of survival are minimal, like pancreas and lung cancer.  

24. About 1.9 million children are struggling with depression.

(CDC)

3.2% of children and teens aged 3–17 are diagnosed with depression, while 4.4 million are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Postpartum Depression Statistics & Facts

Postpartum depression aka baby blues is a type of depression that some parents, women in particular, experience after giving birth. The common symptoms usually include mood swings, insomnia, and anxiety.

25. Both adoptive and biological parents can suffer from PPD.

(Postpartum Depression)

The percentage is lower in adoptive parents (8%), but they receive less support as it’s not so expected from the environment. 

26. Surprising depression statistics: 1 in 10 men experience postpartum depression, too.

(Postpartum Depression) (Psycom)

Men go through hormonal changes as well, but the major risk factor is their wife. 50% of men whose partner is suffering from PPD develop depression themselves.

27. 1 in 8 mothers experiences postpartum depression.

(Better Help)

It can affect all mothers, regardless of the fact if they had given birth before or not. PPD can last from days to weeks and even end in suicide. About 400,000 babies are born to mothers enduring the depression.

28. COVID and depression: 1 in 3 pregnant and postpartum women reported feeling depressed due to the pandemic.

(WebMD)

That’s 36% of mothers and mothers-to-be, while before the pandemic the percentage ranged between 15% and 20%.

9% of women who have given birth in the midst of the pandemic reported feeling extremely sad and disappointed.

29. PPD symptoms can appear even before the baby is born.

(APA)

About 50% of women start developing the earliest symptoms during pregnancy: insomnia, hormonal changes, mood swings, irritability, excessive worry, fear of not being good enough a mother, etc.

30. Suicide is the leading cause of death among postpartum women, as shown by depression and suicide statistics.

(AFSP)

The reports show us that almost 20% of women that go through postpartum depression have suicide thoughts. African American women, military wives, and women that come from low-income families are at greater risk of comiting suicide.  

How Can Depression Be Treated?

Even though depression is a condition that can’t be cured, there are some ways that can help people who suffer from depression have a normal life. 

31. Antidepressants may increase suicide risk in children and young people under the age of 25.

(Mayo Clinic

Children, teenager, and young adolescent depression statistics suggest these demographics can experience suicidal thoughts or get involved in such behavior if they’re taking (prescribed) antidepressants. This can be observed in the first couple of weeks after the beginning of the treatment.

32. Cannabis and CBD can reduce anxiety and depression symptoms.

(Forbes)

According to one of many studies on depression and marijuana, 89.3% of the participants noticed a reduction in depression symptoms by using CBD.  

33. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and psychodynamic therapy are the most common psychotherapy approaches, depression stats indicate.

(HelpGuide)

Every individual is different, and combined methods are oftentimes used. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is also very helpful.

34. A healthy diet and weight loss can reduce depression symptoms.

(Science Daily)

It does not necessarily work for anxiety, but it does help with depression. A diet rich in nutrients and low in sugar and fast-foods reduces the feeling of tiredness and inflammation, so it possibly indirectly affects depression in that way.

Conclusion

Depression stats are exactly what the name suggests — depressing. As the state is challenging to diagnose and treat for a wide variety of reasons, it’s no surprise the rates are that high. What is more, rich countries such as the US seem to be particularly susceptible to depression, and the lockdown depression has been recognized too. 

There is a variety of methods for treating depression and CBD oil has been increasingly added to the treatments. However, one should always consult the doctor in advance.

FAQs

How many people in the world suffer from depression?

There are over 264 million people in the world that suffer from some form of depression. Depression can be categorized as mild, moderate, and severe. This solely depends on the intensity of the symptoms.

On that note, there are several types of depression, of which major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder are the most common.

What percentage of people suffer from depression in the US?

Based on the statistics, 7.8% of Americans have experienced one major depressive episode during their life. Depression is a condition that hits women more often than men; although, men are more likely to commit suicide due to severe depression.

What age group has the highest rate of depression?

We already stated that nearly 8.5% of women and 4.8% of men suffer from some type of depression. However, when it comes to age groups, the statistics show us that middle-aged women (40-59 years old) have the highest rates. 

At the same time, the lowest rates of depression are registered among men, starting with teenage boys (12-17) and men over 60.  

What is the #1 cause of depression?

Chemical imbalance is the simplest term to define the cause of depression, but it is much more than that. Otherwise, it would only be too easy to resolve. Take into account the fact that there are millions of chemical reactions happening in our brain and some contributing to the onset of the disease.

Therefore, we can’t pinpoint which exact “trigger” is most common in people but we can confirm that the more stress you accumulate in your life, the higher the chance of becoming depressed.

Which race has the highest rate of depression?

The highest rate of depression can be seen among African American women. When compared to White and Asian women, African American women lead by 11%. In contrast, Asian women have the lowest depression rate of only 3.9%.

The golden middle of these depression statistics belongs to White and Hispanic women that make 10.5%. 

List of Sources:

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