Prevalence of Major Depressive Episode Among Adults The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adult females (10.5%) compared to males (6.2%).
Depression can affect anyone. However, certain groups of people may be more likely to experience the condition. Females are more likely to experience depression than males. Adults aged 18–25 years are most likely to have at least one major depressive episode.
More than 7% of adults are diagnosed with depression, but people aged 12-25 have the highest rates of depression. See depression stats by age and cause. By SingleCare Team | Updated on Feb. 15, 2022 Medically reviewed by Gerardo Sison, Pharm.
Over 8 million (about 32%) Australians reported that they had been diagnosed with a long-term health condition, with 2.2 million (about 9%) reporting a Mental health condition (including depression or anxiety) (ABS 2022b).
50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and 75% by age 24. 10% of children and young people (aged 5-16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem3, yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.
Risk factors
Depression often begins in the teens, 20s or 30s, but it can happen at any age. More women than men are diagnosed with depression, but this may be due in part because women are more likely to seek treatment.
Smoking, obesity, eating an unhealthy diet, and a lack of physical activity are all behaviors that cause depression, according to results of one UCLA study. The risk of depression due to these risk factors varies with age.
Causes and Risk Factors
Women are about twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. You're also more likely to develop depression if you are between ages 45 and 64, nonwhite, or divorced, and if you never graduated high school, can't work or are unemployed, and don't have health insurance.
At What Age Is Depression Most Common? According to CDC data from 2019, 21% of adults experiencing any depressive symptoms in the most recent two weeks were between 18 and 29 years old. This incidence is the largest among all adult age groups.
The 3 D's: Delirium, Depression & Dementia | St. Charles Health.
What were the major causes of the Great Depression? Among the suggested causes of the Great Depression are: the stock market crash of 1929; the collapse of world trade due to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff; government policies; bank failures and panics; and the collapse of the money supply.
In addition to biological and environmental factors, social factors such as a person's personality, experiences of stress and conflict, and even social media can also influence depression risk.
Many factors increase the risk of developing or triggering teen depression, including: Having issues that negatively impact self-esteem, such as obesity, peer problems, long-term bullying or academic problems. Having been the victim or witness of violence, such as physical or sexual abuse.
50% of mental illness begins by age 14, and 3/4 begin by age 24.
Mental illness in Australia
One in five (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year. The most common mental illnesses are depressive, anxiety and substance use disorder. These three types of mental illnesses often occur in combination.
Females reported a higher proportion of mental or behavioural conditions (23%) than males (17%). Overall, those aged 15–24 years had the highest proportion of mental or behavioural conditions (28%) while those aged 0–14 years had the lowest (13%).
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports higher rates of depression for females than males but, like for any health condition, how depression is defined and the accuracy of diagnoses affects our understanding of its prevalence.
The share of population with depression ranges mostly between 2% and 6% around the world today.
According to 2019 estimates, about 280 million people worldwide have depression, including 5 percent of the world's adults and 5.7 percent of adults above the age of 60.
As a result, depression in developing nations is equally prevalent as—and often more prevalent than—depression in wealthier nations.