United States Depression Rate Hits Record High

As we can see, this issue on suicide is not discussed enough. The United States depression rate hits a record high. Considering our current circumstances economically, politically, and spiritually. We can see why.

Three out of ten Americans got a clinical depression diagnosis at some point in their life in 2023, according to survey data.

The following figure by Statista’s Anna Fleck shows that this rate is the highest since the question was asked, representing a 10.6 percentage point increase from 2015. During the first year of the pandemic, the rate of rise was especially significant, increasing from 22.9% in 2020 to 28.6% in 2021. Meanwhile, in 2023, 17.8% of people who took the survey reported suffering from depression.

These averages conceal figures even more dramatic as Gallup data shows how quickly rates among women, young adults, and Black and Hispanic respondents have increased.

The poll shows that compared to 20.4 percent of males, 36.7 percent of women say they have been diagnosed with depression throughout their lives.

While among 30-44-year-olds it was 34.9 percent, 34.3 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 had been diagnosed with depression. Nowadays, rates of lifetime depression among Black and Hispanic individuals exceed those of White respondents.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that 18.4% of U.S. people said they have at some time in their life been diagnosed with depression. Once more, this statistic obscures inequalities; the CDC data shows that depression prevalence was higher among women (24 percent) than men (13.3 percent).

In closing, I would like to add that sometimes the numbers can be skewed to fit a particular narrative; however, being an erstwhile worker in the mental health sector, I can say that suicide is prevalent. Make sure to check on your loved ones and remember that the United States depression rate hits a record high.