Lifetime Probability of Experiencing Clinical Depression

The lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in the United States is approximately 20.6%, meaning roughly 1 in 5 Americans will experience at least one episode of clinical depression during their lifetime. In any given year, about 8.4% of adults (21 million people) have at least one major depressive episode.

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and a major contributor to suicide, which is the 11th leading cause of death in the US. Women are about twice as likely as men to experience depression, though this gap narrows in older age groups. Depression commonly first appears in the late teens to mid-20s, and about 50% of people who have one episode will have at least one more.

Despite being one of the most treatable mental health conditions, only about 65% of adults with MDD receive any treatment, and only about 40% receive what experts consider minimally adequate treatment. Effective treatments include psychotherapy (particularly cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy), antidepressant medications (effective in about 60-70% of patients), exercise, and newer approaches such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and ketamine/esketamine for treatment-resistant depression.