Looking Ahead

How much more or less common is depression than other mental disorders?

The lifetime risk for depressive illnesses is approximately 17 percent; there are 18 million to 20 million Americans who struggle with depressive disorders. Bipolar disorder impacts only 2 to 4 percent, but this impact is huge. Depression is five to 15 times more frequent than other serious brain disorders such as schizophrenia, autism or obsessive-compulsive disorder.