Who suffers from depression?

There are lots of reasons why people get depressed. Many questions arise about the cause of the illness but there are no simple answers.

As for the question "Who gets depression"? The simple answer is 'anyone'. There is a slightly higher risk among women than men, there are no psychosocial or socioeconomic boundaries.

Some of the famous people who have suffered from depression include:Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Robert Schumann, Ludwig von Beethoven, Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Vincent van Gogh, and Georgia O'Keefe.

Even though depression can affect anyone, you can still be optimistic, effective treatment is available.

How many people suffer from depression?

Studies have found that depression is more common in women than men. There is a lifetime prevalence of 15% and this may be up to 25% in women. These figures are only approximates.

In 2000-2001, 7.1% of the Canadian population aged 12 or older had experienced major symptoms of depression, that is suffered at least one major depressive episode, within the last 12 months (Statistics Canada, 2003).

As you can see, depression affects so many people that most of us know someone in our family, at work or among our friends who has been affected. Depression therefore concerns us all.