States With the Highest Rates of Depression By Andrew Lisa, Stacker News On 12/13/20 at 11:00 AM EST Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Those who suffer from it are at much greater risk for things like metabolic and cardiovascular disease, and the global economy loses $1 trillion in lost productivity every year to anxiety and depression disorders alone. Substance abuse is more prevalent among people with depression, as is suicide. Young people, who are more than twice as likely to drop out of school when they suffer from depression, are especially vulnerable.