New research shows that 1 in 8 middle-aged American women suffer from depression. A report from the Centers for Disease and Prevention says that the prevalence of depression among women aged 40 to 59 is as high as 12.3 percent across all age groups and all gender groups. The prevalence was also higher among women than men in all other age groups. Depression is a serious mental health problem that not only affects a person’s mood, but also interferes with cognitive functioning – the ability to concentrate and make decisions – and can even affect physical functioning. The effects of depression on a person can involve both work and life, with nearly 90 percent of subjects reporting difficulties in participating in family, work or social activities. Nearly half of the subjects with moderate depressive conditions reported a similar possibility. The report also found that 15 percent of those in poverty had depression, meaning they were more than twice as likely to suffer from depression as those above the federal poverty level. In summary, the incidence of depression in the United States increases progressively with age, from 5.7 percent at ages 12 to 17, to 9.8 percent at ages 40 to 59, and then gradually declines to only 5.4 percent after age 60. Studies have shown that a combination of medication and psychotherapy is most effective for major depressive disorder.