Depression and Suicide Facts

Most Common Types of Depression in America:

1.  Major Depressive Disorder (clinical depression): The most common mental disorder in the United States with about 20% of all teens experiencing it before they reach adulthood
2.  Persistent Depressive Disorder (dysthymia): Chronic low-level depression that that is lower in severity than major depression and lasts for at least one year. Between 10 and 15% of teens suffer from this disorder.
3.  Manic Depressive Disorder (bipolar disorder): A mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include high emotions and lows. It is estimated that 2.9% of adolescents suffer from this disorder.

    While these are the most common types of depression amongst teens in America, there are many more types of depression.  You can learn more about the different types of depression at 

 https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-types#1 or https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-depression#major-depression.  

Here are links specifically for the disorders I listed above:

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/clinical-depression
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/persistent-depressive-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20350929
3. https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/bipolar-disorder-manic-depression#1

Other Facts About Depression/ Suicide

•  Every 100 minutes a teen commits suicide
•  Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24
•  Only 30% of depressed teens are being treated for it

Some Teens Are More At Risk For Suicide And Depression Than Other*

•  Female teens develop depression twice as often than men
•  Abused and neglected teens are more at risk
• Teens with a family history of mental illness 
•  Teens who suffer from physical conditions or chronic illnesses
•  Teens with untreated mental or substance-abuse problems
•  Young people who experience trauma such their parents divorce or the death of a parent
  

*THIS IN NO WAY MAKES YOUR DEPRESSION LESS VALID IF YOU DO NOT FALL INTO ONE OF THE CATEGORIES ON THIS LIST. These are just facts from online but it doesn't mean that you can't have depression if you do not fall into one of these categories.