Why is Depression so Pervasive & Difficult to Treat?

Depression affects almost 10% of the adult population of America in any given year. Depression among children is growing, however, with 4% of pre-school aged children thought to be clinically depressed.

Causes

Depression is pervasive because there are many things thought to cause clinical depression, including heredity, stress, pessimism, low-self esteem, environment, illness, financial problems, family problems, relationship problems, and school problems.

Treatment

Depression is often treated with either medication or counseling.

Length of Treatment

One of the reasons why depression can be difficult to treat is that no one knows how long treatment may take. Therapy may continue indefinitely, with little improvement.

Life

Depression may also be difficult to treat because problems in life never completely go away. People with depression tend to also suffer from acute anxiety.

Treatment-Resistant Depression

Some people do not respond well to depression medications or therapy, while others do. It can take some time and numerous attempts before finding the right kind of depression treatment.