Anyone can become depressed. Approximately one person in six experiences depression of some kind in the course of their lifetime and one in 20 experiences clinical depression. At any one time, about one in 10 people will have some symptoms of depression. Of course, people who are depressed do not always seek help and even if they do, they may not always be diagnosed as depressed, so these figures are only estimates.
People from all backgrounds, ages and cultures can experience depression, although people vary in how they express their difficulties. For example, some people use words such as ‘sad’ or ‘low’ to describe feeling depressed, whereas other people describe their feelings in terms of their body, such as ‘a pain in my heart’. In many Western countries women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with depression, this is partly because men are less likely to talk about problems in a way that allows their depression to be picked up. Men are also more likely than women to use alcohol to cope with feeling depressed.
Children and young people
About two per cent of children under 12 experience depression.
This rises to about five per cent for teenagers. A particular worry is the rise in the numbers of young men who attempt suicide, which may be associated with depression, hopelessness, or difficulties in their lives.
Adults
Depression in both women and men is often linked to life changes or to loneliness. About 10 per cent of women experience post-natal depression in the weeks following childbirth. Social factors which can make people more at risk of becoming depressed include loss of employment, bereavement and problems with relationships.
Older adults
People over 65 seem to have a slightly greater risk of depression. This risk gets much higher in people over 85 years old. It can be particularly difficult to recognise depression in older people because they are less likely to talk about feeling sad or low, and more likely to talk about physical problems such as loss of energy or difficulty sleeping. This means that GPs, family and friends may not understand how they are feeling. In older people it appears that depression is less likely to ‘lift’ without help, particularly if they are severely depressed. This may explain why older depressed people have a high suicide rate, particularly men over the age of 75 years old. Depression can also be confused with the effects of other health problems, which are more common in later life. People who are depressed often report feeling confused and having difficulty in thinking and remembering things. In older people it is important to find out whether these problems are due to depression or to the development of dementia – for example in Alzheimer’s Disease or following a stroke.