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KEY FINDINGS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-2006. In any 2-week period, 5.4% of Americans 12 years of age and older experienced depression. Rates were higher in 40-59 year olds, women, and non-Hispanic black persons than in other demographic groups. Rates of depression were higher among poor persons than among those with higher incomes. Approximately 80% of per sons with depression reported some level of functional impairment because of their depression, and 27% reported serious difficulties in work and home life. Only 29% of all persons with depression reported contacting a mental health professional in the past year, and among the subset with severe depression, only 39% reported contact. Depression is a common and debilitating illness. It is treatable, but the majority of persons with depression do not receive even minimally adequate treatment. Depression is characterized by changes in mood, self-attitude, cognitive functioning, sleep, appetite, and energy level. The World Health Organization found that major depression was the leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression causes suffering, decreases quality of life, and causes impairment in social and occupational functioning. It is associated with increased health care costs as well as with higher rates of many chronic medical conditions. Studies have shown that a high number of depressive symptoms are associated with poor health and impaired functioning, whether or not the criteria for a diagnosis of major depression are met.
Pratt et al. (Tue,) studied this question.