United States: Depression rates are rapidly increasing in American adults and teenagers, yet most people do not seek therapeutic help, as reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A CDC National Center for Health Statistics report shows that more than 1 in 8 US adults between ages 12 and up experienced depression during the recent period.
Depression surges across the US
Depression rates have increased by 80% because they rose from 7.3% to more than 13% between 2015-16 and 2021-23.
Results originate from the published findings of a government survey conducted between August 2021 and August 2023, which assessed participants’ experiences of symptoms of depression during the preceding two-week period, CNN Health reported.
Specific scores derived from the studied screening questions identified depression as an existing condition in the respondents.
Depression is becoming more common among adults and adolescents in the US, but most are not getting therapy to help, a new CDC report finds. More than 1 in 8 people ages 12 and up in the US have been depressed in recent years, data show. Here’s the latest: https://t.co/OHabxEn4vZ pic.twitter.com/QjDxg9hMOK
— Jacqueline Howard (@JacqEHoward) April 16, 2025
Pandemic’s Lingering Mental Toll
Administrative changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic survey period may have compromised the ability to track precise changes since the survey administration methods were altered after the period began.
Research shows that people avoid admitting socially unwanted conditions during in-person surveys more than they do with phone or web-based surveys, yet this method change might explain the reported increases, according to Dr. Renee Goodwin, who is a psychiatric epidemiologist and clinical psychologist at Columbia University, as CNN Health reported.
Research experts have consistently pointed out that the pandemic worsened the mental health of many Americans, while adult participant numbers reached 90% in a 2022 survey from CNN in partnership with KFF, which reported people saw the country facing a mental health crisis.