1. The main risk factors of depression include past abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), certain medications (drugs that treat high blood pressure), conflict with family members or friends, death or loss, chronic or major illness, and a family history of depression.

2. Even positive events such as graduating, getting married, a new job can lead to depression.

3. Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also suffer from depression.

4. More than 20 million people in the United States suffer from depression in a given year.

5. Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men. Women may be at a higher risk for depression due in part to estrogen, which may alter the activity of neurotransmitters that contribute to depression.

6. At some point in their lives, about one in four Americans will experience depression.

7. Once men hit midlife, they may face an increased risk of depression due to the decrease of testosterone.

8. Men typically experience depression differently from women and use different means to cope. For example, while women may feel hopeless, men may feel irritable. Women may crave a listening ear, while men may became socially withdrawn or become violent or abusive.

9. Researchers have recently found that those who suffer from depression are at risk for low bone mineral density. Depressed women are especially at risk for developing osteoporosis.

Scholars suggest that Abraham Lincoln’s life-long depression actually contributed to his greatness
10. Abraham Lincoln first fell into a deep depression after Ann Rutledge, his first love, died. Lincoln reportedly suffered from chronic depression his entire life.

11. In established market economies such as the United States, depression is the leading form of mental illness.

12. As many as 15% of those who suffer from some form of depression take their lives each year.

13. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), more than 6% of children suffer from depression and 4.9% of them have major depression.

14. Self-mutilation (cutting or burning) is one way in which individuals show they are depressed.

15. Because the brains of older people are more vulnerable to chemical abnormalities, they are more likely than young people to suffer depression.