1 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey You brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: Lauren Vogelbaum. Here just a heads up. Our episode today 3 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: deals with mental health and depression. So if you're not 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:20,160 Speaker 1: up for that right now, take care of yourself, okay, okay. 5 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: One of these symptoms of depression is feeling singularly lonely, 6 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: as though no one could understand how low you're feeling, 7 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: or that you're alone, even among friends or family. And 8 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,840 Speaker 1: to be fair, everyone's experiences on this planet are singular 9 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: and individual. But depression is really pretty common. But answering 10 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: the question of how common is it is really complicated. 11 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: First off, by depression, I mean feelings of sadness, emptiness, 12 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: or irritability that affect one's capacity to function. On a 13 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 1: global scale. It's estimated that somewhere between three point eight 14 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: percent and four point four percent of human beings experience depression, 15 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 1: something like three hundred million people, give or take a 16 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: few dozen million. And I know that is an infuriatingly 17 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: imprecise statistic, but depression can be difficult to put a 18 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: finger on, and nonetheless, it is a serious issue. The 19 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: World Health Organization ranks it as the single largest contributor 20 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:34,559 Speaker 1: to disability on the planet. Of course, depressive conditions aren't 21 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: evenly and randomly distributed throughout the world. A depression can 22 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: affect anyone regardless of who you are and where you 23 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: are in life, but it is more common in certain populations. Globally, 24 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: it's most common in older adults ages fifty five to 25 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: seventy four. Ish Women are about fifty percent more likely 26 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: than men to experience it. It's most prevalent in people's 27 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: with the incomes, but those in zones of active conflict 28 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: and those living with chronic physical illnesses, which really only 29 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: makes sense. When you start getting a little more granular, 30 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: the statistics start getting weirder. Rates of depressive disorders are 31 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: higher in North America than anywhere else in the world 32 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: because of Greenland, which is the most depressed country or territory. Technically, 33 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: there's more depression in high income countries than in middle 34 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: income countries. In different cultures, factors like never having been 35 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 1: married or having a low level of education might make 36 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: you more likely to have depression or way less. All 37 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: of this speaks to how complex depression is. Science still 38 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 1: doesn't know exactly how it works, though, as we have 39 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: said on the show before, researchers think it's a combination 40 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: of genetics, biochemistry, psychology, and environmental factors like stressors, which 41 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: can vary from culture to culture. And part of the 42 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: issue is how we trap depression. You can look at 43 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: actual medical diagnoses, but that doesn't cover people who never 44 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: see a doctor if a doctor is even available. Around 45 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: the world, it's estimated that less than twenty five percent 46 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: of people with depression have access to proper care. You 47 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: can look at surveys, but you have to take into 48 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: consideration what questions were being asked based on which diagnostic criteria. 49 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: A science is updating its considerations about depression all the time. 50 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: You also have to trust that the people who were 51 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: surveyed were being honest. Researchers make best guess estimates based 52 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: on available data. But okay, what if we narrow our 53 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: question of how common depression is down to the United States, 54 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: because that's where brain stuff is based. One great source 55 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: of data here is the National Survey on Drug Use 56 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: and Health, which is a large annual survey of tens 57 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: of thousands of Americans conducted by the US Substance Abuse 58 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: and Mental Health Services Administration. They then use that data 59 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: to extrapolate out to the general American population. As of 60 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: twenty twenty three, they found that eight point five percent 61 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,799 Speaker 1: of adults ages eighteen and older had experienced at least 62 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: one episode of major depression in the past year. And okay, 63 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: I want to break that down by age group because 64 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: it is dark. In people ages fifteen older, only four 65 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: point five percent had had a major depressive episode. In 66 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: ages twenty six to forty nine years, it was ten 67 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: point two percent, and in ages eighteen to twenty five 68 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: years it was seventeen point five percent. And then they 69 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: also survey at adolescence. In adolescence ages twelve to seventeen years, 70 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,720 Speaker 1: the rate was even higher, eighteen point one percent had 71 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 1: had at least one major depressive episode. That's a grand 72 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: estimated total of twenty six point one million people who 73 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: experienced clinical depression in the US in twenty twenty three. 74 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 1: But even this excellent survey may not be telling the 75 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: full story because it excludes people who are houseless, active 76 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: duty military personnel, and residents of institutions like jails and 77 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: nursing homes, people for whom depression is probably even more common. Also, 78 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: the survey is still relying on self reported symptoms and 79 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: humans are historically bad at self reporting symptoms of depression 80 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: because of the societal stigma against mental illnesses. For a 81 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: quick example of how this can play out, let's go 82 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: back to that statistic about the prevalence of depression in 83 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 1: women versus men. So women are about twice as likely 84 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 1: to experience depression, but we don't know why. Researchers are 85 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 1: studying a myriad of possible links, including hormones, genetics, and 86 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: other biological factors, but there are also psychosocial factors to consider. 87 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 1: One theory is that men are less likely to be 88 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: counted because they're less likely to seek help. While men 89 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: tend to be willing to admit to fatigue, irritability, changes 90 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: in sleep patterns, and a loss of interest in activities, 91 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: they typically don't share about feelings of sadness or worthlessness. 92 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 1: They're more likely than women to use alcohol or other 93 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 1: drugs to mask their feelings. Women, on the other hand, 94 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: are more likely to acknowledge feelings of sadness, guilt, and worthlessness. 95 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: Stigma that is prejudice against mental illness is real. It 96 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,479 Speaker 1: carries across cultures and has been going on for millennia. 97 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: Despite the fact that we now know that factors like 98 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: brain chemistry are at work in depression, there are still 99 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 1: prejudices that paint depression as weakness or shameful, and therefore 100 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 1: paint depressive behaviors as lazy or some kind of moral failure. 101 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: When people internalize the stigma, it can feed into those 102 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: feelings of sadness, emptiness, and irritability that mark depression in 103 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: the first place. This could make it even harder for 104 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: people with depression to seek help and to follow through 105 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: treatment and mental health maintenance. And although depression is highly treatable, 106 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 1: it's also not something that can be cured like a 107 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: simple infection. About fifty percent of people who experience one 108 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: episode of depression will experience a recurrence at some point 109 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: in their lives, and the more often they relapse, the 110 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: more likely they are to continue to do so. All 111 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: of these statistics and the question marks around them sound 112 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: a little depressing. Is there a measure of how completely 113 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: usual depression really is? If you're concerned about yourself for 114 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 1: a loved one, the first step is always to talk 115 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: to a healthcare professional, even a family doctor or online service, 116 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: to rule out other physical issues and get started with 117 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: a diagnosis and a treatment plan. Because symptoms and severity 118 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: are singular and individual that might involve medication, talk, therapy, 119 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: or a combination of both, with an eye on building 120 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: a sort of toolkit of awareness and management and lifestyle 121 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: strategies to carry with you into the future, no matter 122 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: how complicated it seems. Today's episode was written by me 123 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: with additional material from the article how depression Works on 124 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: how stuffworks dot Com, written by Maria TREMARKI brain Stuff 125 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:57,960 Speaker 1: is production by Heart Radio in partnership with how Stuffworks 126 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: dot Com and is produced by Tyler Kuang. Four more 127 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: podcasts from my heart Radio. Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 128 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.