Yes. The National Institute of Mental Health states that, “Depressive illness can often interfere with normal functioning and cause pain and suffering not only to those who have the disorder, but to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the ill person.” A national study of depression found that nearly all the respondents who reported a major depressive disorder also reported that their social and/or work lives were negatively affected by their illness.
1 In 2010, the economic burden of depression was estimated at $210 billion in the US
2 and depression was the second leading cause of disability, accounting for almost 20% of all years of life lost to disability and premature death.
3 Depression can be a lethal disease. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2017, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 47,000 people. Statistics show that 60% of whom suffer from depression.
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