Are your blues bleaker than most?

It’s worth asking the question. Clinical depression is as prevalent as other leading chronic conditions, such as heart disease and

It’s worth asking the question.

Clinical depression is as prevalent as other leading chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, according to research featured on Statistics Canada today. Major depression affects 1 in 10 Canadians in their lifetime, and 1 in 20 in the course of any given year—and was noted by the World Health Organization as the world’s leading single cause of disability in the year 2000.

What makes these figures even more difficult to swallow is the number of people who remain undiagnosed, especially given that 80 to 90 percent of people with depression respond to treatment.

It’s not just about mental health, either: new research suggests that depression has physiological impacts, raising the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you may have a mood disorder, be sure to take the helpful quiz at checkupfromtheneckup.ca. It could just be a lifesaver.