Topline
Almost one in 10 Americans reported suffering from depression in 2020, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which found rates of the mental health disorder are on the rise for all Americans, especially among adolescents and young adults.
A woman sits alone in her home.
Key Facts
About 9.2% of Americans 12 and older reported experiencing a major depressive episode over the past year in 2020, up from 7.3% in 2015, according to the study, led by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and City University of New York.
More than 17% of young adults ages 18 to 25 reported having depression, the highest rate out of all age groups and an increase from 10.3% in 2015, followed by 16.9% of adolescents ages 12 to 17, up from 12.7% in 2015, according to the study, which used data from the 2015−2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
The findings reflect an accelerating “public health crisis that was intensifying in the U.S. even before the onset of the pandemic,” said Renee Goodwin, study lead author and professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health.
While depression rates increased among both men and women, women (11.8%) were more likely than men (6.4%) to report having depression, while those with lower household incomes were more likely than wealthier Americans to struggle with their mental health.
Fewer than 6% of Americans struggling with depression sought help from a medical professional or received medication, a rate that did not change from 2015 to 2019.
Surprising Fact
Some 13% of Americans reported taking antidepressants over the past month during 2015 to 2018, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This rate was even higher among women 60 years and older, nearly a quarter of whom reported receiving antidepressants. Women were more than twice as likely as men to take antidepressants during this time and are also more likely to be diagnosed with depression than their male counterparts.
Key Background
Depression is the most common mental health disorder in the U.S. and is the biggest risk factor for suicide behavior, researchers noted. Rates of depression hovered around 6.6% in 2005 and have risen gradually since then, according to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Studies conducted during the coronavirus pandemic have suggested Covid-19 and ensuing restrictions and lockdowns had a profound impact on the mental health of Americans and those around the world: During the first year of the pandemic, global rates of anxiety and depression increased by 25%, according to data from the World Health Organization. In the U.S., research suggests rates of depression tripled during that first year, with 32.8% of Americans experiencing elevated symptoms of depression in 2021, compared to 27.8% in 2020 and 8.5% before the pandemic. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine study, which includes data from part of the pandemic, offers a start to quantifying the mental health consequences of the coronavirus, researchers said. Officials in recent years have attempted to tackle rising rates of mental health struggles through a variety of policy changes, including the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which mandated that health insurance offer mental health and substance use disorder benefits and boosted coverage of mental health and addiction treatment services. But as depression rates continue to climb, officials need to make even greater investment in evidence-based treatments that are widely available and affordable, researchers concluded.
Further Reading
Nearly 1 in 4 young adults in US treated for mental health during pandemic, CDC survey finds (CNN)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/09/19/nearly-1-in-10-americans-suffered-from-depression-in-2020-study-finds/