[Noah Baron looks at consumer culture's rather problematic relationship with happiness. And on a possibly-related note, this is an excellent chance to link to one of the most weirdly interesting pages on all of WikiCu. And yes, that is a picture of Emile Durkheim at the top of this post.]
According to this article, rates of extreme depression have risen in each generation since 1915. The Centers for Disease Control and Protection have released a report which states that suicide rates amongst young girls (ages 10-14) have risen 76%. The report goes on to state that between 2003 and 2004, suicide rates for all youth (people aged 10-24) had risen 8%, the largest single increase in almost two decades.