by Tom Ludwig, Hope College
© 1998, Peregrine Publishers, Inc., All Rights Reserved)
Introduction
Depression has been called the "common cold" of psychological disorders, because it is the single most frequent reason for seeking mental health care. The prevalence of clinical depression appears to be increasing in the population, not only in America but around the world. Estimates from large-scale surveys suggest that about 4% of the American population (roughly 10 million people) will experience clinical depression in any given year, but the lifetime risk of having at least one episode of depression may be as high as 20-25%.
Depression is common in all socioeconomic classes and in all ethnic groups, although in the United States the rate of depression appears to be slightly higher among some groups (such as Native Americans and Americans of Southeast Asian ancestry) than among others. Interestingly, most national and international surveys have found a clear sex difference in the prevalence of depression.
Can you guess which sex reports higher rates of depression?
