A discussion of who might experience depression, including special consideration of women, children, and the elderly. About 3 percent to 4 percent of Americans experience major depression. Manic depression affects another 1 to 2 percent.
Some people have recurrent depressive episodes separated by years of relatively good mental health.
Others experience clusters of depression over a short period with a few glimpses of normal function in between. Unfortunately, as many as 35 percent of depressed people experience a chronic form of the condition that never fades away at all without treatment. The problem appears to be on the increase. In this century, each succeeding generation has experienced major depressions at earlier and earlier ages, and each generation that follows the next has a higher lifetime risk of experiencing the disorder. Women and Depression More than twice as many women as men are diagnosed with depression, although the reason why this occurs is still hotly debated.