Is depression widespread?

Yes it is, and many people suffer from bouts of severe clinical depression. Previous Canadian studies have estimated that nearly one in five Canadian adults will personally experience a mental illness during a 1-year period.

Approximately 121 million people suffer from depression world-wide and fewer than 25% of those affected have access to treatment (World Health Organisation). Every year 1 million people commit suicide world-wide and 10-20 million people attempt to commit suicide.

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.