Depression is the “umbrella term” given to a group of conditions that can lower or alter our mood without notice. There are many types of depression, and they all stem from our biology, the environment, and personal perspective. Depression is a mental health issue around the world that has always had a negative stigma to it, thus making it harder for people to get treated. By educating ourselves and becoming more aware about what depression is, we can help save millions from a world of pain, suffering, and sadness.
The Facts
- Major depressive disorder affects approximately 17.3 million American adults, or about 7.1% of the U.S. population age 18 and older, in a given year. (National Institute of Mental Health “Major Depression”, 2017)
- Major depressive disorder is more prevalent in women than in men. (Journal of the American Medical Association, 2003; Jun 18; 289(23): 3095-105)
- 1.9 million children, 3 – 17, have diagnosed depression. (Centers for Disease Control “Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health”, 2018)
- Adults with a depressive disorder or symptoms have a 64 percent greater risk of developing coronary artery disease. (National Institute of Health, Heart disease and depression: A two-way relationship, 2017)
Source: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Based from the information above, you can see that depression does not play favorites when it comes to who it can affect. A sad but necessary truth to acknowledge if we want to change how we view depression. Depression has always had a negative stigma tied to it, because of ill-viewed perspectives that were imposed onto society. It was always seen as a personal issue as opposed to a mental disorder that we may not even have any control over (no different from cancer, asthma, or down syndrome). By changing this stigmatic view, we can show our support and assistance to those who need it most.
Depression is not just depression, it can co-occur with other illnesses such as cancer, stroke, heart attacks, coronary artery disease, HIV, Parkinson’s disease, eating disorders, substance use, diabetes, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Below are the statistics:
Depression & Physical Health
- 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)
Source: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
It always astonishes me how our mental health can have a major impact on our physical health. It makes sense, though, considering how our brain controls every part of our body. Through medication, therapy, and meditation, we can better our mental health so that the rest of our health is not detrimentally impacted. To make clear, people who have depression or a form of it are not crazy, broken, or sick. They simply need a helping hand and maybe a professional who knows their mind better than any of us do. We may think we know what is best, but sometimes we must accept the facts and feelings of another human, and help them on their journey to happiness.
By now, I am positive you have realized that this post is meant to be more informative above anything else. I believe it is important to learn the facts about depression before helping others overcome it. When it comes to depression, ensuring a comfortable space for those who are depressed is crucial. You want the person to feel like they can speak freely without judgment. Someone with depression may be going through something we have never personally experienced before, but that does not mean we cannot help. As long as we create a comfortable, communicative, loving, and supportive environment, those with depression will be able to seek the best treatment possible.
Informed,
E.
For More Information, please visit: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
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