Know the Facts About Clinical Depression.

• Position: Brief Article

According to Organon Inc., West Orange, N.J., a manufacturer of antidepressants, 10% of American adults--more than 17,000,000 people--suffer from major depressive illness every year. Depression is twice as prevalent among females as males, according to the U.S. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. It is estimated that as many as 25% of women will experience depression at some point in their lives.

Research indicates that just one-third of those with major depression will get proper treatment. Left untreated, an episode of depression can last for months, years, or a lifetime. Moreover, two-thirds of those with any kind of affective disorder who do receive treatment will be misdiagnosed. Patients often complain of physical symptoms rather than mood symptoms. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 70% of patients with mental health problems present physical symptoms such as sleeplessness, vague aches and pains, and fatigue. Anxiety, a common symptom of depression, may affect more than 80% of depressed individuals.

Depression is a chronic and recurrent illness. Between 15 and 30% of individuals with major depression do not fully recover from a given episode. In addition, 50-80% of people who have one episode will experience at least one more, usually within two or three years.

Depression costs the nation $53,000,000,000 annually. The impact of...