These illnesses strike all kinds of families, regardless of race, socioeconomic class, educational level or place of residence. Schizophrenia occurs at equal rates regardless of education, socioeconomic status, or culture. Depression, panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorders are also equal opportunity illnesses. Women suffer from depression at twice the rate of men regardless of where they live, their culture, or socioeconomic status. Five million older Americans suffer from depression, and one in ten children and adolescents suffer from some type of mental illness.
Mental illness can happen to anyone.
Depression is a diagnosable, treatable illness that affects 19 million adult Americans each year. The severity and duration of depression symptoms are clearly distinguishable from sadness and mood swings that are part of life. When untreated, depression can have serious consequences. Depression is the cause of over two-thirds of the 30,000 American suicides each year, and according to the World Health Organization, it is the leading cause of disability in the United States. However, there are effective treatments available that have proven to have 80 percent success rate for people diagnosed with depression.