502K views · 10K reactions | What is a depressive episode? “The...

16.2 million adults have had at least one major depressive episode. “A loss of focus can be the most debilitating of depressive symptoms, rendering a person unable to work effectively or plan for the future, which seems desolate, devoid of the possibility of redemption,” according to John Nelson, M.D. To help treat this serious illness, doctors are trying new forms of treatment. Learn more. | Jonathan Otto

More than 21 million U.S. adults experience at least one major depressive episode each year, which is about 8.3% of adults. Of those, around 14.5 million endure severe impairment that disrupts their daily lives. Among adolescents ages 12 to 17, about 5 million face a major depressive episode every year, and approximately 3.7 million of them experience severe symptoms. And that’s just depression — not including anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, or other mental health conditions. We must end the st