Depression Demographics: Who Is The Most Depressed In Usa
One of the most common mental illnesses in the U.S. is depression affecting more than 16 million Americans. Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability for people between the ages of 15 to 44 and it affects about 6.7% of all adults. People across a wide range of different demographics can be affected by depression.
Depression is a problem that can be debilitating and make it difficult for people to function in their daily lives. They might have trouble performing at work, school or handling their relationships with others. People with a depressive disorder will find it hard to prevent their symptoms from interfering with important things in their life.
People typically experience depression in adulthood but it can actually start early in life with many people developing their symptoms in adolescence. If the person doesnt receive any treatment, the problem can become worse and cause multiple mental and physical issues. Major depressive episodes can occur periodically throughout a persons life.
What Are The Statistics Of Teenage Depression
An estimated 4.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 17.0% of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17. The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adolescent females compared to males .
Incidence Of Suicidal Rates Among Different Age Groups
- Suicide rates increased by 33 percent between 1999 and 2019, with a slight decrease in 2019.
- Suicide is the 10th most common cause of death in the United States.
- In 2019, it was responsible for about 47,500 deaths, which equates to one fatality every 11 minutes even more, people are contemplating or attempting suicide.
- Twelve million American individuals seriously considered suicide in 2019, 3.5 million plotted a suicide attempt, and 1.4 million attempted suicides.
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10 to 34 years old people.
- The fourth leading cause of death among 35 to 44 years old people.
- The fifth leading cause of death among 45 to 54 years old people.
- Men are at higher risk of committing suicide than women.
- The suicidal rate is the highest among women aged 45 to 64 years.
- The suicidal rate is the highest among men aged 75 years and older.
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Depression Statistics By Age
- Adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old had the highest rate of major depressive episodes followed by young adults 18 to 25 years old .
- Older adults aged 50 and older had the lowest rate of major depressive episodes .
- 11.5 million adults had a major depressive episode with severe impairment in the past year as of 2018.
- Severe depression among college students rose from 9.4% to 21.1% from 2013 to 2018.
- The rate of moderate to severe depression rose from 23.2% to 41.1% from 2007 to 2018.
Which Country Has The Lowest Depression Rate
The ten countries with the lowest rates of depression are:
What percent of the population has depression?
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 16.2 million U.S. adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2016. This represents 6.7 percent of the U.S. adult population. Depression is most common in ages 18 to 25 and in individuals belonging to two or more races .
What country is #1 in depression?
14, 2016, at 10:05 a.m. The U.S. is one of the most depressed countries in the world, according to the World Health Organization.U.S. Among Most Depressed Countries in the World.
| Overall |
|---|
| Nigeria |
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Prevalence Of Major Depressive Episode Among Adolescents
- Figure 2 shows the past year prevalence of major depressive episode among U.S. adolescents in 2020.
- An estimated 4.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 17.0% of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17.
- The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adolescent females compared to males .
- The prevalence of major depressive episode was highest among adolescents reporting two or more races .
Figure 2
| Demographic | |
|---|---|
| 2 or more Races | 29.9 |
*Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race all other racial/ethnic groups are non-Hispanic. Note: Estimates for Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander and American Indian / Alaskan Native groups are not reported in the above figure due to low precision of data collection in 2020.
Are Depression And Anxiety Related
In many ways, anxiety and depression are opposites. Anxiety is associated with overexcitement and moods that are too high. Manic episodes, which are high moods, can involve symptoms like anxiety and paranoia. However, even though anxiety is associated with high moods and depression is a low mood, they may be more related than youd assume. People with depression may experience anxious thoughts and panic attacks. In some cases, persistent anxiety symptoms can lead to feelings of depression and hopelessness.
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions that include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder , and panic disorder. Like depression, anxiety can get in the way of your daily life. Anxious thoughts may be rooted in stress and worries, but they can also happen with no particular cause.
Panic disorder falls under the category of anxiety disorders. It involves episodes of high anxiety and panic that can also include physical symptoms, such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest pains. People who have panic attacks may also experience low-level anxiety and panic symptoms in between panic attacks.
A worldwide survey found that 45.7% of people with major depression in their lifetime also had an anxiety disorder. These seemingly opposite disorders also routinely occur at the same time. Around 41.6% of people experienced major depressive disorder and an anxiety disorder during the same year.
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Which Disorders Cause Depression
Several mood disorders cause depression symptoms, and a few disorders can cause major depressive episodes. In some cases, other mental health issues can cause depression symptoms. For instance, persistent panic and anxiety disorders can leave you feeling hopeless and depressed.
The fifth edition of the DSM added three more mood disorders to more accurately diagnose certain conditions. The three new disorders involve disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Mood disorders that cause depression include:
Other health conditions can also cause depression symptoms. In many cases, depression is triggered by a frightening diagnosis or a medical condition that changes your life drastically. Conditions that lower your quality of life can also cause depression. Also, conditions that cause chronic pain can add a lot of stress that leads to mental health issues.
Depression can also be caused by certain medications and recreational drugs. Central nervous system depressants like alcohol, benzodiazepines, and prescription sleep aids can cause a low mood. Antidepressants and stimulants can cause depression when you stop taking them, especially when you quit cold turkey after a period of consistent use. Depression is closely associated with substance use disorders , especially when drugs cause or worsen depression are involved.
Selection Of Independent Variables
The selection of independent variables included in the fully adjusted regression model were based on:
- user need and relevance: based on evaluation of previous analysis and discussions with users
- data quality: selecting variables with accurate measurement and sufficient sample size
- assessment of suitability: excluding variables with multicollinearity
Missing values were excluded from the regression analysis where a response was not provided for a question or variable included in the model. As a result, 25,823 adults were included in the regression model analysis. A full breakdown of sample sizes and population estimates for each of the characteristics included in the fully adjusted regression model are available in the accompanying dataset.
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Statistics Related To Mental Health Disorders
The following are the latest statistics available from the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health:
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Mental health disorders account for several of the top causes of disability in established market economies, such as the U.S., worldwide, and include: major depression , manic depression , schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older — about 1 in 4 adults — suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.
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Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. In particular, depressive illnesses tend to co-occur with substance abuse and anxiety disorders.
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Approximately 9.5% of American adults ages 18 and over, will suffer from a depressive illness each year.
- Women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from major depression than men. However, men and women are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder.
- While major depression can develop at any age, the average age at onset is the mid-20s.
- With bipolar disorder, which affects approximately 2.6% of Americans age 18 and older in a given year — the average age at onset for a first manic episode is during the early 20s.
Most people who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder — most commonly a depressive disorder or a substance abuse disorder.
What Age Group Has The Highest Rate Of Depression
American Psychiatric Association defines major depressive disorder as a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how one feels, thinks and acts. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and decrease a persons ability to function at work and home. Depression can occur at any age.
Depression causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning. With appropriate medical treatment, therapy and emotional support, 70 to 80 percent of patients can achieve resolution or significant reduction in symptoms.
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What Actually Causes Depression
Research suggests that depression doesnt spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications, and medical problems.
Does Depression Change Your Face
Wu. Long-term depression has disastrous effects on skin, because the chemicals associated with the condition can prevent your body from repairing inflammation in cells. “These hormones affect sleep, which will show on our faces in the form of baggy, puffy eyes and a dull or lifeless complexion,” says Dr. Wechsler.
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Disabled Or Clinically Extremely Vulnerable People
In early 2021, around 4 in 10 disabled adults experienced some form of depression this was three times greater than non-disabled adults . Adults who identified as clinically extremely vulnerable were more likely to experience some form of depression than non-CEV adults .
After controlling for age, sex and other characteristics, disabled and CEV adults continued to be more likely to experience some form of depression. Disabled adults had some of the highest odds of experiencing some form of depression when compared with non-disabled adults.
For definitions of disability status and CEV, see the Glossary.
Older People At Higher Risk
In the United States and in many other countries, the suicide rate increases with age .
U.S. Suicide Rate by Age, 1999 and 2007
WHO, World Report on Violence and Health .
The highest suicide rates have historically been among the oldest Americans. Many elderly have undiagnosed or untreated depression, which can be intensified by the trauma of losing a spouse or the stress of living with a chronic illness. Elderly adults often lack frequent social interactions that can help protect them against the loneliness that can exacerbate depression. Compared with suicide attempts among younger people, suicides among older adults tend to be carefully planned and more likely to be successful. Many elderly also have underlying health conditions, which reduces their chances of surviving a suicide attempt, compared with younger adults. Suicide rates have actually declined for older adults since 1999, but they remain higher than those in most other age groups.
Adolescents and young adults have lower mortality than older groups, but suicide is among the top five causes of death for this age group, usually flanked by homicide and unintentional injury.4 Young adults are vulnerable to suicide in part because they tend to experiment with alcohol and drugs, which are often involved in suicides. They tend to be more impulsive and prone to risky behavior than older adults, and they often are dealing with the stress of major life changes as they assume adult roles.5
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Etiology Of Depression And Suicidality
The cause of depression is multifactorial. A family history of depression is common among persons with the disorder, as is a family history of suicides.
In addition to depression, other factors such as alcohol/substance abuse , impulsiveness, and certain familial factors may greatly increase the risk for suicide. These include a past history of mental problems or substance abuse, suicide in the immediate family, family violence of any type, and separation or divorce.
Other risk factors include prior suicide attempt, presence of a firearm in the home, incarceration, and exposure to the suicidal behavior of family members, peers, celebrities, or even highly publicized fictional characters. It is also established that the initiation of treatment for depression with psychotherapeutic agents can temporarily increase the incidence of suicidal ideation as well as energizing motivation, and therefore unfortunately can increase the likelihood of successful suicide attempts. The incidence of depression in healthcare workers is comparable to that in the general population, though the rate of completion of suicide is higher. Therefore, healthcare workers diagnosed with depression, especially when coupled with burnout or substance use disorder, should be considered to be a in higher risk category for attempted or completed suicide.
Depression Statistics Across The Lifespan
Depression is variable across the lifespan, appearing as one brief severe episode, a mild chronic condition, or something in-between. When exploring what age group has the highest rate of depression, age and depression statistics are only part of the story. Looking beyond the numbers is essential for understanding its impact.
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Healthamerica’s Youngest Face Mental Health Crisis
Kids and young adults, especially, feel rushed and pressured, Williams said.
While social media can connect people who might otherwise feel isolated, it can also help pile on the pressure, she said.
I wouldnt say that social media is responsible for a rise in depression more the being rushed and lack of connections that we have in the structure of how we live lives now, she added.
But Dr. Karyn Horowitz of Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island thinks social media may be a big factor.
For some kids, video game use can become an addiction leading to social isolation, poor school performance, and impaired sleep, she said.
It is possible that the increased rates of depression in adolescents is related to a combination of increased electronics use and sleep disruptions in already vulnerable individuals, she added.
For the report, Blue Cross and Blue Shield looked at medical health insurance claims from 41 million insurance holders.
They found 4.4 percent of them had a diagnosis of major depression in 2016.
“Diagnoses of major depression have risen dramatically by 33 percent since 2013,” the report reads.
According to the report, 2.6 percent of youths aged 12 to17 were diagnosed with major depression in 2016, a 63 percent increase from 1.6 percent in 2013.
Among young adults aged 18 to 34, 4.4 percent had major depression in 2016, compared to 3 percent in 2013. Thats a 47 percent increase.
Men Have Highest Rates
Regardless of age, menwhite and American Indian men in particularhave the highest suicide rates. The suicide rate for non-Hispanic white men from 2005 to 2007 was 22 deaths per 100,000, more than four times the rate for women of any racial or ethnic group, and more than twice the rate for black, Asian, or Hispanic men. The rate for American Indian men was only slightly lower, at 19 deaths per 100,000.6
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Figure : One In Five Adults Experienced Depressive Symptoms In Early 2021 More Than Double That Seen Before The Pandemic
Percentage of adults with depressive symptoms, Great Britain, July 2019 to March 2021
Notes:
Further analysis on depression during the pandemic is published in Coronavirus and GP diagnosed depression in England: 2020. This found that the number of GP diagnosed depression cases during the pandemic decreased when compared with the corresponding period in 2019, broadly in line with a fall in the overall number of GP diagnoses. However, in 2020, depression diagnoses as a percentage of all diagnoses were slightly higher than in the corresponding period in 2019.
Which Age Group Suffers The Most From Depression
The highest percentage of adults who experienced any symptoms of depression was found in the 18 to 29 age group, followed by the 45 to 64 age group, and finally the 30 to 44 age group. Mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of depression were more likely to be experienced by women than by men.
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