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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How common is depression? What is the prevalance rate?

    Related Topics
    Depression Mental Health
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    Joe Gubbay

    Clinical Psychologist, Counsellor, Psychologist, Psychotherapist

    I have worked in public hospitals as well as private practice over the past 25 years. As a clinical psychologist I treat depression, social anxiety, … View Profile

    A comprehensive Australian study in 2007 found roughly one in 20 people had a mood disorder (depression being the most common) in the previous year.  The rate was around 5% for men, and 7% for women.  This includes people with bipolar disorder; roughly 3% of men and 5% of women have a Major Depressive Disorder (no manic episodes) in a 12-month period.   The lifetime prevalence of major depression is 9% for men, and 15% for women.  These lifetime figures increase to 12% and 18% respectively when all mood disorders are included.  

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    Dr Clive Jones

    Counselling Psychologist, Counsellor, Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Sport Psychologist

    Dr Clive Jones is a registered psychologist specialising in the assessment and treatment of mental health issues and disorders and High Performance Sport psychology. He … View Profile

    Interestingly the World Health Organisation (WHO) has suggested that depression will be in pandemic proportions (i.e. significant world wide prevalence) by 2020 with the possibility of it overtaking cancer and heart disease as the major health problem facing the world. With major disasters like the Japan tsunami not countered in to the push factors for this prediction it may even come sooner.

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