Depression is a serious medical condition that is associated with symptoms such as melancholy, loss of pleasure, loss of energy, difficulty in concentrating, and suicidal thoughts.
Depression is both a brain disorder and a state of mind. The brain is unique—it is the only organ whose function we consciously experience because the brain is the organ of the mind.
Illnesses of the mind-brain affect more than one in five people in the United States. Depression is by far the most prevalent, representing around 50% of all mind-brain illness. The umbrella of depression encompasses Major Depressive Disorder and its related mood disorders including bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety disorder and suicide.
HDRF chooses not to use the term “mental illness” to refer to disorders of the mind and brain. The term conjures up negative images in the popular imagination, propagates stigma, and is not scientifically accurate. Therefore, at HDRF we always refer to this area as “mind-brain illness.”
The Scope of Depression
- 31.4 million Americans and 332 million people worldwide experience depression in any given year.
- Depression is one of the single largest causes of disability worldwide, accounting for 11% of all years lived with disability globally.
- Depression accounts for 4.3% of the global burden of disease
- The WHO ranks severe depressive episodes as the fifth most impairing health state in terms of health loss.
- People with depression have a 40 to 60% greater chance of dying prematurely than the general population
- The prevalence of depression has increased 60% in the past decade
- Even in high-income countries, only 1 in 3 people with depression seek mental health treatment. Only 9% of people with depression worldwide receive adequate treatment.
WHO Guidelines on Mental Health at Work
WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030
WHO World Mental Health Today: Latest Data
New Reports Highlight Depression Prevalence and Medication Use in the U.S.
Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study: Findings Report
Depression in the Workplace
- 12 billion productive work days are lost every year to depression due to absenteeism, underperformance, and staff turnover
- Depression costs the U.S. economy $326 billion each year and costs the global economy an estimated $1 trillion every year
- Depression will cost the global economy an estimated $16.3 trillion by 2030
- Workers with mental health conditions earn on average 17% less than workers without mental health conditions.
WHO World Mental Health Today: Latest Data
The Economic Burden of Adults with Major Depressive Disorder in the United States (2010 and 2018)
Postpartum Depression
- Affects approximately 17% of new mothers during pregnancy or after childbirth.
- Individuals in middle- or low-income countries are twice as likely to experience postpartum depression as individuals in high-income countries.
- Postpartum Depression is more likely to occur in mothers with a prior history of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
- 20% of individuals with Postpartum Depression report self-harm ideation.
- Approximately 50% of pregnancy-related deaths are attributable to mental health conditions, with suicide and unintentional overdose accounting for the majority of deaths.
- Postpartum depression can also be experienced by new fathers (Paternal Postpartum Depression) and adoptive parents (Postadoption Depression).
- Children with parents experiencing depression are more likely to have negative cognitive outcomes and impaired intellectual development in early childhood.
A systematic review and meta-regression of the prevalence and incidence of perinatal depression
Timing of Postpartum Depressive Symptoms
Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data from Maternal Mortality Review Committees
Post-adoption Depression: Parental Classes of Depressive Symptoms Across Time
Bipolar Disorder
- Affects 1.5% of the U.S. adult population, or 3.1 million people.
- Affects an estimated 54 million people worldwide.
- Has increased by nearly 80% worldwide over the past 30 years.
- When experiencing depressive episodes, individuals with Bipolar Disorder present similarly to those with Major Depression, but existing antidepressant treatments have little to no effect on depressive episodes associated with Bipolar Disorder.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Affects about 8 million adults in a given year.*
- Frequently occurs after violent personal assaults such as rape, mugging or domestic violence; terrorism; natural or human-caused disasters; and accidents.*
- Affects 11 – 20 out of every 100 Veterans who served in Iraq.*
- Affects 12 out of every 100 Veterans who served in the Gulf War.*
- Affects 15 out of every 100 Vietnam War Veterans according to the most recent study in the late 1980s, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. It is estimated that about 30 out of every 100 Vietnam Veterans have PTSD in their lifetime.*
*U. S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs website, PTSD overview. Accessed May, 2017.
at https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/how-common-is-ptsd.a5p
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Affects 10% of the U.S. adult population, or 20.2 million people.
- Affects over 300 million people worldwide.
- Of all mood and anxiety disorders, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression have the highest rate of comorbidity.
- 67% of people wither Generalized Anxiety Disorder will also experience Major Depression.
Differential diagnosis of bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder
Mental and Substance Use Disorders Prevalence Study: Findings Report
Psychological trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma-related depression: A mini-review
Suicide
- Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death for all ages in 2024 and the second leading cause of death among adolescents aged 10-24 and adults aged 25-44.
- Suicide rates have risen 35% since 2000.
- Suicidal thoughts are most common among adults aged 18 to 25. 12.6% of young adults report having serious thoughts of suicide in the past year, compared to just 5.5% of the total adult population.
- Young adults are more than twice as likely to make a suicide plan and to attempt suicide compared to the total adult population.
In teens
- 40% of high school students experience persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness
- 20% of high school students report seriously considering suicide in the past year
- Almost 10% of high school students report attempting suicide in the past year.
In the past year
- 50,000 Americans died by suicide
- 500,000 were hospitalized for self harm
- 9 million attempted suicide
- 8 million made a suicide plan
- 5 million had serious thoughts of suicide
National Vital Statistics Reports September 18, 2025
Vital Statistics Rapid Release September 2025
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Data Summary & Trends Report
The Hope for Depression Research Foundation is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a not-for-profit public charity (Tax ID 20-4559210), contributions to which are deductible for income and gift tax purposes. All contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.