Depression, a Boat Onboard by Many

Each year about 7 out of a hundred U.S adults experience major depressive disorder, each hop on the depression boat on his own.

Depression tend to occur with other serious medical illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease. Some illnesses may come on before depression, cause it, or be a consequence of it. But depression and other illnesses interact differently in different people. In any case, co-occurring illnesses need to be diagnosed and treated.

Women are 70 % more likely than men to experience depression during their lifetime. Depression, even the most severe cases, can be effectively treated. The earlier that treatment can begin, the more effective it is.

The worst thing is that people who have depression along with another medical illness tend to have more severe symptoms for both illnesses. They have more difficulty adapting to their medical condition, and more medical costs than those who do not have co-existing depression. These cases just show how important it is to treat depression. Treating the depression can also help improve the outcome of treating the co-occurring illness.

Source statistics: NIH