Is depression and/or suicidal behavior common in young people?
About five percent of children and adolescents in the general population suffer from depression at any given point in time.1 Approximately four percent of adolescents get seriously depressed each year.2 Major Depressive Disorder and Dysthymic Disorder are common disorders occurring in approximately two percent of children and four to eight percent of adolescents.3 Depressive disorders tend to affect boys and girls equally before they reach puberty. After age 15, depression is twice as common for females, than males.4 Depression is a significant risk factor for suicide in young people. Suicidal thoughts and attempts are more common in adolescents than children, particularly young children.
