Depression still represents an ongoing problem in the United States with the continued high level RevealS.
The percentage is reported by adults who suffer or receive depression treatment above 18 percent over the past two years. A decade ago, in 2015, the number was more than 10 percent.
“The anxious increase, and it is important to remain on an open mind and explore all the possible reasons for the quick study, and it appears to be sustainable in depression rates over the past decade,” said Dr. Gerard Sanakura, a professor at Yale New Haven University. Newsweek.
Why do it matter
Depression is a common mental health condition that can affect how a person thinks, sleeps, eats and behaves, and often causes a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest in the things that you have previously enjoyed, but it is different from sadness or sadness.
It affects millions of Americans, and recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that up to one billion people around the world live with mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
There are many different types of depression and severity, and in severe cases, it can lead to self -harm or death by suicide. Tens of thousands of Americans take their private lives every year, highlighting the decisive importance of treating and supporting mental health.
Danger factors for depression
Sanakura said that while depression can affect anyone, both children and adults, there are some known risk factors. This includes “genetics, age, sex and decrease in public health.”
“It is possible that some change in public health, for example, related to long or increasing levels of obesity and metabolism disorders can contribute to the increase,” he added, noting that the effect of these risk factors “may not have changed significantly in all the population in recent years.”
He said that other major risk factors known as depression “are more related to stressful life, drug use, and social isolation.”
Covid-19
A turning point for the recent increase in American depression rates occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020, according to Gallup data.
In 2019, the percentage of American adults who reported depression was in a Gallop survey, which is part of the Gallup National Health and Welfare Index, 12.5 percent.
Among the questions posed to the respondents: “Did a doctor or nurse ever tell you that you have depression?” And if the answer is yes, “Do you currently have or do you treat depression?”
From 2019, depression rates increased from 13.8 percent in 2020 to 17.8 percent in 2023.
“With the continued high rates of depression in the aftermath of the epidemic,” the epidemic was more than a turning point, “said Dr. David Michelon, Director of the Clinical Depression and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical College. Newsweek.
This is probably because the Covid-19s “has led to major changes in the way our society works, which leads to various forms of physiological and psychological stress as well as noticeable social isolation,” said Sanacora.
Micholon said that these changes included closure, movement restrictions, loss of jobs, food insecurity and many others, which “all led to an increase in depression and was not resolved for many people in the post -trusteeship.”
He said that the adoption of fully or remote work models has led to a social isolation of the remainder of the “issue for many.”
Also, “many functions that were lost during the epidemic are no longer.” “The problems that appeared during the epidemic did not completely disappear and contributed to the increases in depression.”
Micholon said that the new influential factor, which was brought by the Kofid -19, is that “many people who have Kofid are still dealing with the effects of the disease after that, for example, long transportation syndrome, which may contribute to depression.”
Sanakura said that while the epidemic had a global impact on health and luxury, these changes “are likely to be affected by adolescents and younger adults in addition to those belonging to low economic backgrounds.”
According to Gallup data, depression reports increased from 22.1 percent in 2017 to 35.1 percent this year in families that earn less than 24,000 dollars a year, an increase of 13 points in eight years.
The same trend can be determined between adults under the age of 30, as depression rates doubled from 13 percent in 2017 to 26.7 percent in 2025.
Why depression is higher among young people
“While the Covid-19 pandemic was a noticeable turning point in the acceleration of depression in the country,” depression among young people was already rising before the epidemic and its acceleration. “
He said this is due to many factors, including the rise of social media and the screen time among young people.
Also, “the development challenges faced by adolescents and small puberty may also complicate due to the current societal, economic and political instability.”
He added: “The increasingly political environment in the United States has also contributed to the insecurity and conflict between people and family instability among other things.”
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Sanakura said the other effect factor is “changes in drug abuse patterns.”
Although data indicates a recent decrease in the percentage of young people who use materials, there is also a suggestion that those who use materials report “intensive consumption patterns with high levels of turmoil.”
Psychologists have been paying various approaches to address the misuse of materials in young people in recent years, and the issue remains a source of general health concern.
Other factors affect depression
In addition to financial stress, especially for young people and low -income individuals, as well as students ’debts, rent and food insecurity, the unit levels” have also increased since the beginning of the epidemic. “
Gallup Research found a strong link between depression and loneliness, and while nails decreased in the epidemiological age in the unit between 2022 and 2023, there has been a rise since.
In 2020 and 2021, there were points in which 25 percent of adults said that they felt unit “a lot of day yesterday”. While this decreased to its lowest level by 17 percent in 2022 and 2023, the levels infiltrated to 21 percent in 2025.
“More openness about mental health problems and improving development in the field of mental health has led to more people to obtain assistance and increase diagnostic rates,” said Micheolon.
For those who suffer from low income, “educational restrictions, unemployment, homelessness, and historically isolation increased the risk of mental distress and suicide.”
He added that “the lack of financial security and instability in housing, the scarcity of food and access to the limited health care is an increasing issue since the epidemic, all of which contribute to depression.”
“Depression can lead to unemployment or incomplete employment, which in turn increases financial pressure, creating a vicious circle,” Michelon also said.
In general, while the increase in depression rates in the United States may be partially affected by the increase in the attention that generates mental health issues in recent years, there is also a real increase in the number of people with symptoms of depression, “Sanakura said.
Full interview below
NewsweekAn interview with Dr. David Michelon, Director of the Clinical Depression and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard University Faculty of Medicine.
Q1: What are the factors that led to a rapid increase in depression rates in the United States?
“Depression rates have almost doubled in the past decade, due to many factors. Financial stress, especially for young people, low -income individuals, such as students’ debts, rent and food insecurity are also contributors. The unit levels have increased since the beginning of friendly. In determining its identity. [fear of missing out (FOMO)]And social comparison. The growing political environment in the United States has also contributed to insecurity and conflict between people and family instability among other things. “
Q2: Why was Covid a long effect on depression rates? It seems from the data that this is the turning point – but why did the prices continue to rise in the years that followed the epidemic as well?
“The epidemic was more than a turning point more than the point. Lock, navigation restrictions, job loss, housing and food insecurity led to increased depression increases and were not resolved for many people in the post -guardian age. With the effects of the disease, such as long transportation syndrome, which may contribute to depression.
Q3: Why do you think that this increase in depression is largely among those under the age of 30?
“Depression among young people was already ascending before the epidemic and its acceleration. Social media and screen time among young people contributed to depression. The development challenges faced by teenagers and young adulthood were also complicated by one, as they were introduced to this. A kind of cultural shock, but the tangible problems they face are very real.”
Q4: How does the social and economic background affect depression rates, and why people with low income tend to high rates of depression as data appears?
“The level of stress associated with educational restrictions, unemployment, homelessness, and historically has increased the danger of mental distress and suicide. Low -income families have depression rates that have increased over the past few years. The lack of financial security, instability in housing, food pressures, access to health care limited, as financial stress is a vicious circle.”