Growing depression

Newsweek -   The reported percentage of U.S. adults suffering or receiving treatment for depression has been higher than 18 percent for the past two years. A decade ago, in 2015, the number was just over 10 percent.

"The increase is alarming, and it is important that we keep an open mind and explore all possible causes for the rapid, and apparently sustained, rise in depression rates over the past decade," Dr. Gerard Sanacora, a professor of psychiatry, director of Yale Depression Research Program and co-director of Yale New Haven Hospital Interventional Psychiatry Service at Yale University, told Newsweek.

Depression is a common mental health condition that can affect how a person thinks, sleeps, eats and acts, and often causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in previously enjoyed things, but is different to sadness or grief.

It affects millions of Americans, and recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that as many as 1 billion people worldwide are living with mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

There are many different types and severities of depression, and in severe cases, it can lead to self-harm or death by suicide. Tens of thousands of Americans take their own lives each year, highlighting the crucial importance of mental health treatment and support.