
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder. The lifetime risk for depression is 6 to 25%. According to the National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH), 9.5% or 20.9 million American adults suffer from a depressive illness in any given year.
There are two types of depression. In major depression, the symptoms listed below interfere with one’s ability to function in all areas of life (work, family, sleep, etc). In dysthymia, the symptoms are not as severe but still impede one’s ability to function at normal levels.