US depression rates surge — women, young adults hit hardest

mental health

To Erin Keller

May 17, 2023 | 7:38 PM

In the United States, depression rates are reaching new peaks, especially among young people and women. Gallup new poll I found

In February, about 5,000 adults were asked, “Have you ever been told by a doctor or nurse that you have depression?” “Do you currently have depression or are you currently undergoing treatment?”

Twenty-nine percent of respondents reported being diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, up nearly 10 percent from 2015.

In addition, 17.8% of respondents said they had or were being treated for depression, an increase of nearly 7 percentage points over the past eight years.

Gallup noted that the rate was the highest ever recorded since adopting the depression data collection method in 2015.

The survey found that women (23.8%) and adults aged 18 to 29 (24.6%) had the highest rates of depression or being treated for depression currently.

These two groups, as well as adults aged 30 to 44, are growing fastest compared to the 2017 estimates.

The rate of change in lifetime depression rates for women (10.5% from 2017 to 2023) is almost double that for men (5.7%) over the same period.

In addition, lifetime depression rates for black and Hispanic adults now exceed those for white respondents.

Caucasian respondents typically reported slightly higher rates of lifetime depression and current depression.

Isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic is likely a big factor in these results, according to Gallup.

While clinical depression among U.S. adults had been on the rise pre-pandemic, there has been a particularly sharp increase in depression diagnoses as the virus spreads, Gallup said.

“Social isolation, loneliness, fear of infection, psychological exhaustion (especially among frontline responders such as health care workers), increased substance abuse, and disruption of mental health services may be contributing factors. high,” Gallup said in its research analysis.

“While experiencing everyday serious loneliness Although symptoms subsided over the past two years as widespread vaccination and a slow return to normalcy, heightened loneliness during the pandemic increased the incidence of depression of a long-term, chronic nature. likely to have played a substantial role in “

The analytics firm added that 78% of healthcare workers in 2019 were women, and that the pandemic has put women at significant emotional and psychological risk.

Many women also quit their jobs or were laid off during the pandemic, turning their attention to child care and schooling.

Young people and people of color were also more likely to lose their jobs during this time.

If you or someone you know is experiencing depression, contact Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by: call or text message 988, or chat with them online.