Learn what a typical Depression in adults prognosis is at Consumer Reports Health.

Depression in adults

What will happen to me?

Lots of people recover from an episode of depression on their own, without treatment. But getting the right treatment can speed up your recovery. If you've had a major episode of depression, you have a high chance of getting depressed again.

What will happen to you depends partly on how bad your depression is.

About half the people who have one bout of major depression will have more symptoms of depression within the next 10 years.

Source:
Judd LL, Akiskal HS, Maser JD, et al.
A prospective 12 year study of subsyndromal and syndromal depressive symptoms in unipolar major depressive disorders.
Archives of General Psychiatry. 1988; 55: 694-700.

This might sound bleak. But it can be helpful to have this information. It means you can prepare for the chance of getting depressed again, especially if you've found a treatment that helps you.

To learn more about the different kinds of depression, see What is depression?

About four-fifths of people who have received treatment for depression either in a hospital or from a

psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in psychiatry, a branch of medicine that covers the science and practice of treating mental, emotional or behavioral disorders.

psychiatrist, will get depressed at least once more in their life. The average is about four episodes of depression.

Sources for the information on this page:

Judd LL, Akiskal HS, Maser JD, et al.A prospective 12 year study of subsyndromal and syndromal depressive symptoms in unipolar major depressive disorders.Archives of General Psychiatry. 1988; 55: 694-700.

This information was last updated on Apr 09, 2009

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