A study done at MIT, conducted by Paul E. Greenberg and his colleagues, estimated the direct and indirect costs of depression for the United States. Reported in the Jour- nal of Clinical Psychiatry, they included all forms of depression: major depression (cannot get out of bed), manic depressive (euphoric one day, down in the dumps the next), and chronic depression (functional but not at full potential for long periods of time). The total they came up with was $44 billion and Greenberg, et al, feel this number is on the conservative side. (They had left out coexisting disorders such as drug abuse and the numbers were based on 1990 cost figures.)

The study concluded that approximately $32 billion, or two-thirds, of the costs were indirect expenses not normal- ly calculated. The two largest components were excessive absenteeism ($1 1.7 billion) and reduced productivity ($12.1 billion) when depressed people do show up at work; however, they are producing below capacity,

The saddest indirect costs are suicides, thus lost wages ($7.5 billion when totaling lifetime earnings). These costs represent about 18,400 people, or 60% of all suicides annually are due to depression. The emotional costs for those left behind cannot be quantified.

So what are the direct costs? Treatment, including diagnosis, totaled $12 billion or only 28% of the total bill. Obviously, getting help not only benefits the person need- ing it; it benefits society as well.

Stress that has become distress can become depression. While far, far, easier to say than do, not trying to identify and alleviate whatever is causing you to feel overwhelmed is going to eventually do you in. Rest assured, bad coping habits and feeling miserable will rise to the surface in the so-called “real world,” unless you learn to go with the flow. Balancing your need to succeed with your need to stay afloat is no easy task, especially in today’s job mar- ket. However, life will indeed be too short, if you don’t.

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