How Prevalent are Mood Disorders?
According to the Merck Manual, mood disorders “are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, accounting for 25% of patients in public mental institutions, 65% of psychiatric outpatients, and as many as 10% of all patients seen in nonpsychiatric medical settings”; moreover, some type of mood disturbance will affect some 20% of women and 12% of men during their lifetime (figures from Merck Manual, chapter 189). The NIMH estimates that nearly 19 million US adults will experience a depressive disorder in a given year, breaking down the numbers for US citizens over 18 as follows: • major depressive disorder: 5.0% of the population • dysthymic disorder: 5.4% of the population • bipolar disorder: 1.
