2010

Depression is a common global mental health condition. Depression is an “illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2007a). Depressive disorders consist of a number of related conditions as described later within this paper. In the United States, it is estimated that approximately one out of every two American families will have a family member suffering from depression at some point in the developmental life cycle (Goldberg & Steury, 2001; National Institute of Mental Health, 2007a). Approximately 5 to 10% of the United States population suffers from depression at any given time. As many as 20% of U.S. adults will experience depressive symptoms with a lifetime incidence of depression estimated at 20 to 55 % of American adults (McClanahan & Antonuccio, 2004). It is thought that the approximately 30,000 suicides per year are likely associated with depression (Greenberg, Stiglin, Finkelstein, & Berndt, 1993).