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About Depression

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 that interferes with an individual’s thoughts, behavior, mood, and physical health. Learn more about depression symptoms.

Here are some depression facts:

• 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.²
• Overall, women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. However, some experts feel that depression in men is under-reported.³
• 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 lives.⁶

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

What causes depression? 

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, which are chemical messengers that send signals between brain cells.

How are depressed patients treated? There are drug and non-drug treatments for depression.  Depression is often initially treated with psychotherapy (talk-therapy) and antidepressant drugs. It is believed that antidepressant drugs work by increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters. Learn about depression treatment options.

While antidepressant drugs work for many people, more than 4 million patients do not get relief from them¹.  For these patients, the effects of depression can still be debilitating. These patients need a new proven depression treatment option.

1. 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
2. Heron, Melonie, et al. Deaths: Final Data for 2006. National Vital Statistics Reports, 57 (14). April 17, 2009.
3. 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.
4. Data on file
5. 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.
6. Murray CJ, Lopez AD. Evidence-based health policy – lessons from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Science. 1996; 274 (5288): 740-743.