Depression among adults is on the rise in the U.S., according to a study released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recorded that nearly one in five American adults are diagnosed with depression. The study, which was conducted across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. and focused on adults ages 18 and up, revealed that some states ranked higher in the number of depressed adults than others.
The CDC reported higher levels of depression were found in adults living in low-income areas and regions with higher poverty rates and lower education levels, “all of which can negatively affect health and wellbeing,” the report says. The findings were based on government data collected in more than 3,100 counties across the country in 2020 as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey.
Nearly 393,000 adults responded to the survey where they were asked: “Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional ever told you that you had a depressive disorder, including depression, major depression, dysthymia, or minor depression?” The goal was to identify a starting point to discern whether disparities in the geographic region contributed to depression.