It affects people of all ages, races and ethnic groups. For unknown reasons, women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. Manic depressive illness is less common.
Depression is a recurrent condition.
Depression can occur at any age, but the average age of onset is about 40 years old. Although many people experience their first episode of depression in their late teens or early adulthood, the incidence of depression increases with age. The elderly are at a high risk of developing depression as they face multiple health problems or the loss of loved ones. Persons of any age or race may contemplate suicide as part of their depression, but older white men are more likely than younger individuals to actually commit suicide. Many of these patients seek medical help before their suicide, often within one month of their death.