Have you ever had a period of time where you are constantly sad and experienced a loss of energy, interest, and appetite? Then you probably have a common mental illness called depression. In recent years, depression has become one of the main worldwide concerns of people’s health. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), depression is affecting 40 million adults aged 18 and over and about 1.9 million children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 17 years.

Photo: Everyday Health

There are many factors contributing to the 7 most common types of depression (Major Depressive Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Postpartum Depression, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and Atypical Depression). It can be caused by genes, stress, hormones, drug and alcohol use, peer pressure, and even love. “Depression is the flaw in love,” states Andrew Solomon, a writer, and a psychologist. “To be creatures who love, we must be creatures who can despair at what we lose, and depression is the mechanism of that despair.” When unexpected life events happen, we will be sad, feel grief, and/or be depressed. But being depressed does not mean having depression. Unlike the mood fluctuation that we tend to have, depression is a mood disorder that involves a persistent feeling of sadness, loss of interest, and thoughts of suicide. Depression can last for weeks, months, or even years.  

Depression is nearly twice as common among women as men. In 2017, 11 million females and 7 million males were reported to have depression in the US. Homework load, academic pressure, peer pressure, and social stress lead to depression for  37% of students from 2019-2020 in the US. 700,000 people commit depression-related suicide every year, and it is the fourth leading cause of death in 15-18 years olds. 

Luckily, support from family members, friends, therapy, counselor, and drug treatment can help with depression. Most importantly, patients should try to get some exercise, meet some new friends, and find something they are interested in to maintain or improve their mental, emotional, and physical status. Be happy and stay positive! 

References

  1. Bruce, Debra Fulghum. “What Is Depression? | Understanding Sadness and Clinical Depression.” WebMD, WebMD, https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression. 
  2. “Depression Statistics.” Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, 12 July 2019, https://www.dbsalliance.org/education/depression/statistics/. 
  3. “Depression.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression. 
  4. “Facts & Statistics: Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA.” Facts & Statistics | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA, https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics. 
  5. Google Search, Google, https://www.google.com/search?q=student%2Bdepression%2Bstatistics&rlz=1CDGOYI_enHK951HK951&oq=studen&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j46i131i175i199i433i512j69i57j0i512j69i60j69i61.1893j0j4&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8. 
  6. What Is Depression?, https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression.