The Facts

Research shows that mental illness is the most important risk factor for suicide; and that more than 90% of people who commit suicide have a mental or addictive disorder. Depression is the most common illness among those who die from suicide, with approximately 60% suffering from this condition.

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home.

Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can occur at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s.

Depression is a real illness and help is available. With proper diagnosis and treatment, the vast majority of people with depression will overcome it. A person with persistent depressive disorder has a depressed mood for most of the day, for more days than not. In children and adolescents, the mood can be irritable or depressed, and must continue for at least one year.

Persistent depressive disorder often begins in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood and affects an estimated 0.5% of adults every year. Individuals with persistent depressive disorder often describe their mood as sad or “down in the dumps.” Because these symptoms have become a part of the individual’s day-to-day experience, they may not seek help, just assuming that “I’ve always been this way.”

In teens, symptoms may include sadness, irritability, feeling negative and worthless, anger, poor performance or poor attendance at school, feeling misunderstood and extremely sensitive, using recreational drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping too much, self-harm, loss of interest in normal activities, and avoidance of social interaction.

These feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control, are out of proportion to the actual danger and can last a long time. Depression is not a normal part of growing up, and it should never be taken lightly. Unfortunately, they may feel reluctant to continue seeking help.                               

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/suicide-canada-key-statistics-infographic.html

https://menshealthfoundation.ca/ 

Temporal trends in suicide among adolescents and young adults in the United States, Canada, and South Korea: 2001-2023

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40885314/