Who Gets This Disease?

At any given time, about five percent of the population of the United States suffer from major depression. It affects people of all ages, races and ethnic groups. For unknown reasons, women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. The lifetime prevalence of major depression is about 20 to 26 percent for women and eight to 12 percent for men. Manic depressive illness is less common. Between 0.5 and one percent of the population suffer from this type of depression.

Unlike other diseases that an individual can contract only once in a lifetime, depression is a recurrent condition. Those who have had an episode of depression have better than a 50 percent chance of the depression recurring sometime in their lives. Depression can occur at any age, but the average age of onset is about 40. Although many people experience their first episode of depression in their late teens or early adulthood, the incidence of depression increases with age. The elderly are at a high risk of developing depression as they face multiple health problems or the loss of loved ones. Persons of any age or race may contemplate suicide as part of their depression, but older white men are more likely than younger individuals to actually commit suicide. Overall, about 15 percent of patients who have depression for more than one month commit suicide. Many of these patients seek medical help before their suicide, often within one month of their death.

Understanding Your Body

The brain is the control center for every part of the body. It controls our conscious behavior (walking and thinking) and our involuntary behavior (heartbeat and breathing). The brain also regulates our emotions, memory, self-awareness and thought processes. The brain receives information via nerve cells, called neurons, from every part of the body. The brain evaluates the information it receives and sends appropriate instructions via the neurons. Each one communicates with the cells around it through electrical signals. When a nerve signal reaches the end of one cell, it must pass over a gap to reach the other one. The nerve causes a release of chemicals called neurotransmitters. The improper relay of signals may be partly responsible for depression.

    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 30 Aug 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.