<p>The problem with measuring learned helplessness is that while we know it exists and is related to  <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4920136/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">dorsal raphe nucleus 5-HT neurons in the brain</a>, we have no official designation of it as a mental disorder and official study to measure it. However, there is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.neubiorev.2005.03.021" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a correlation between depression and learned helplessness</a>, so we might be able to use depression statistics in order to measure the amount of learned helplessness in society. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/depression.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">7.6% of people 12 years and older experience depression in the United States</a> in any two week period and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhamcs/web_tables/2017_ed_web_tables-508.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">9.4% of American patients visiting the hospital in 2017 experienced depression</a>. <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Globally, over 264 million people suffer from depression</a> and thus, they are more likely to suffer from learned helplessness.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-12T07:41:49.443Z
is there any specific number for the correlation between depression and learned helplessness? Say 8 in 10 or something
Ooker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-05T13:20:38.730Z
2020-08-05T13:20:38.730Z
Tyler Mc
<p>Looking at these resources:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_helplessness" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Learned helplessness - Wikipedia">Wikipedia, Learned helplessness</a></li>
<li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0500" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Learned Helplessness - Peterson - - Major Reference Works - Wiley Online Library">Christopher Peterson, Learned Helplessness, 2010</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com.vn/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=BSz5BwAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA1&amp;dq=learned+helplessness+&amp;ots=1wyov6f1To&amp;sig=qn4sJFj6GKQS27nr9GlMCcnfa4o&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q=learned%20helplessness&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Human Learned Helplessness: A Coping Perspective - Mario Mikulincer - Google Books">Mario Mikulincer, Human Learned Helplessness: A Coping Perspective, 2013</a></li>
</ul>
<p>I'm still unable to find how widespread learned helplessness is in society. Do you know where I should take a look?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-26T00:07:43.037Z
How common learned helplessness is in society depends on the context (ie in education, in different types of relationships, etc). Fundamentally however, it is extremely prevalent so much so as being applicable to every human at least once. People very commonly do not take risks, conform, or do not live up to their maximum potential (which is extremely untapped) due to incorrectly determining what is or is not possible. [Apologies if this is broad and a bit philosophical. Again, it depends on the context.]
Holiday_Chemistry
<social-psychology><abnormal-psychology><positive-psychology><learned-helplessness>
How widespread is learned-helplessness in society?
Ooker
# How widespread is learned-helplessness in society?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-21)

Looking at these resources:

* [Wikipedia, Learned helplessness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_helplessness "Learned helplessness - Wikipedia")
* [Christopher Peterson, Learned Helplessness, 2010](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/9780470479216.corpsy0500 "Learned Helplessness - Peterson - - Major Reference Works - Wiley Online Library")
* [Mario Mikulincer, Human Learned Helplessness: A Coping Perspective, 2013](https://books.google.com.vn/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BSz5BwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=learned+helplessness+&ots=1wyov6f1To&sig=qn4sJFj6GKQS27nr9GlMCcnfa4o&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=learned%20helplessness&f=false "Human Learned Helplessness: A Coping Perspective - Mario Mikulincer - Google Books")

I'm still unable to find how widespread learned helplessness is in society. Do you know where I should take a look?

**Tags:** social-psychology, abnormal-psychology, positive-psychology, learned-helplessness

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: How common learned helplessness is in society depends on the context (ie in education, in different types of relationships, etc). Fundamentally however, it is extremely prevalent so much so as being applicable to every human at least once. People very commonly do not take risks, conform, or do not live up to their maximum potential (which is extremely untapped) due to incorrectly determining what is or is not possible. [Apologies if this is broad and a bit philosophical. Again, it depends on the context.]  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-05. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The problem with measuring learned helplessness is that while we know it exists and is related to [dorsal raphe nucleus 5-HT neurons in the brain](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4920136/), we have no official designation of it as a mental disorder and official study to measure it. However, there is [a correlation between depression and learned helplessness](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.neubiorev.2005.03.021), so we might be able to use depression statistics in order to measure the amount of learned helplessness in society. [7.6% of people 12 years and older experience depression in the United States](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/depression.htm) in any two week period and [9.4% of American patients visiting the hospital in 2017 experienced depression](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhamcs/web_tables/2017_ed_web_tables-508.pdf). [Globally, over 264 million people suffer from depression](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression) and thus, they are more likely to suffer from learned helplessness.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: is there any specific number for the correlation between depression and learned helplessness? Say 8 in 10 or something  

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