Around one in four women will experience severe depression at some point in their life.

Depression affects twice as many women as it does men, regardless of racial and ethnic background or income.
Depression is the number one cause of disability in women.

In general, married women experience more depression than single women do, and depression is common among young mothers who stay at home full-time with small children.

Women who are victims of sexual and physical abuse are at much greater risk for depression.

At least 90% of all cases of eating disorders occur in women, and there is a strong relationship between eating disorders and depression.

Depression can put women at risk for suicide. While more men than women die from suicide, women attempt suicide about twice as often as men do.

Only about one-fifth of all women who suffer from depression seek treatment.

Depression can - and should - be treated.

According to a Mental Health America survey on public attitudes and beliefs about clinical depression:

More than one-half of women believe it is "normal" for a woman to be depressed during menopause and that treatment is not necessary.

More than one-half of women believe depression is a ìnormal part of aging.

More than one-half believe it is normal for a mother to feel depressed for at least two weeks after giving birth.

More than one-half of women cited denial as a barrier to treatment while 41% of women surveyed cited embarrassment or shame as barriers to treatment.

In general, over one-half of the women said they think they "know" more about depression than men do.
National Mental Health Association, ìAmerican Attitudes about Clinical Depression and its Treatment,î (March 27, 1996).

Although treatment for depression is almost always successful, fewer than half of those suffering from this illness seek treatment.

Many people do not seek treatment because they believe they can treat depression by themselves or that it is a personal weakness rather than a serious medical illness.
Rupp A, Gause E, Regier D: "Research Policy Implications of Cost-of-Illness Studies for Mental Disorders," British Journal of Psychiatry Suppl 1998; 36:19-25.