“CDC Report: 1 in 5 US Adults Diagnosed with Depression”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the percentage of US individuals diagnosed with depression differs by area. 18.4% of US individuals were diagnosed with depression in 2020, according to the survey. The proportion ranged from 12.7% in Hawaii to 27.5% in West Virginia, demonstrating significant regional variances.

Depression frequency was highest in the Appalachian and southern Mississippi Valley regions, according to CDC and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education researchers. Using data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which questioned almost 400,000 individuals in all 50 states and DC, these conclusions were found.

The 10 states with the greatest lifetime prevalence of adults with a depression diagnosis were West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Vermont, Alabama, Louisiana, Washington, Missouri, and Montana. Depression frequency ranged from 10.7% in Aleutians East Borough County, Alaska, to 31.9% in Logan County, West Virginia.

The survey also showed depression discrepancies by demography. Women had a greater incidence of depression (24%) than males (13.3%), while younger persons aged 18 to 24 had a higher prevalence (21.5%) than those 65 and older (14.2%). Depression rates were greater among White individuals and those with lesser education.

Gallup’s May research found comparable rates of depression in the US. Since 2015, 18% of individuals reported being depressed or receiving treatment for depression.

Experts link the surge in depression rates to the COVID-19 epidemic and increasing knowledge and willingness to seek mental health care. Experts say the spike in diagnoses may be due to increased awareness and destigmatization of mental health, which led more people to seek professional care.