Major depression is a serious medical illness affecting more than 14 million American adults
every year.1 Often a debilitating disorder, depression results in a persistent state of sadness
which interferes with an individual’s thoughts, behavior, mood, and physical health. Learn more
about depression symptoms.
In 2000, the economic burden of depression was estimated at $83.1 billion in the US2 and researchers
estimate that by the year 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide.3
Depression can be a lethal disease. In fact, each year in the US, over 30,000 people die by suicide,
60% of whom suffer from depression.4 Overall, women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from
depression; however, some experts feel that depression in men is under-reported.5 Depression has no
racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries. About two-thirds of those who experience an episode of
depression will have at least one other episode in their lives6.
While the exact cause of depression is not known, the leading scientific theory is that depression is
caused by an imbalance of the brain’s neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that
send signals between brain cells. Depression is most often treated with antidepressant medications.
It is believed that antidepressant medications work by increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters.
Learn about depression treatment options.
More than 4 million patients do not receive adequate benefit from antidepressants1
which may in part be due to intolerance to their side effects. For these patients, they need a new way back.
References:
- Kessler, RC, et al. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of twelve-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 Jun: 62 (6):617-27.
- Greenberg, PE, et al. The economic burden of depressive disorders in the United States: How did it change between 1990 and 2000? Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 2003; 64 (12): 1465-1475.
- Murray CJ, Lopez AD. Evidence-based health policy – lessons from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Science. 1996; 274 (5288): 740-743.
- Heron, Melonie, et al. Deaths: Final Data for 2006. National Vital Statistics Reports, 57 (14). April 17, 2009.
- Kessler, RC, et al. The epidemiology of major depressive disorder; results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). JAMA. 2003; 289(23): 3095-3105.
- Data on file
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