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Article: Are we becoming a nation of depressives? By many estimates depression has become the scourge of Westerners. Already the fourth leading cause of disability in the workforce, it is projected to reach number two by the year 2020 (after respiratory infections).
- Article from:
- The Humanist
- Article date:
- September 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 American Humanist Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Psychiatrists have taken the position that the apparent increase in the incidence of depression is just a mirage--that this much depression has always been present in the population; it is simply better diagnosis and the decreased stigma associated with our treatments that are responsible for the escalating numbers of reported depressed people. Some of us remain unconvinced.
Research indicates that in any given year over seventeen million Americans experience major depression. In fact, fifteen percent of the population is diagnosed with depression at some point in their lifetime. The treatment of depression has become an enormous industry in the United States. ...