Symptoms of Anxiety or Depressive Disorder
34% of Americans report symptoms of anxiety or depression, up from 11% in 2019. The South had 4 of 5 states with the highest rates.
Symptoms of anxiety or depression, Dec 9-19, 2022
Percent of adults who experienced symptoms of anxiety or depression in the last two weeks
Source: CDC and Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey. Notes: This indicator is based on self-report of the frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms, derived from responses to the first two questions of the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) scale.
The percent of adults in the U.S. reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression has tripled from 11% in 2019 to 34% in December 2022. 4 out of the 5 states with the highest rates were in the South: 40% in Louisiana, 39% in West Virginia, 38% in Kentucky, and 38% in Mississippi. Though pandemic concerns have eased, Americans face a growing mental health crisis.
Economic, racial, political, and cultural tensions were exacerbated by the pandemic, leaving Americans with higher levels of psychological distress.1,2 LGBT adults consistently experience higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to non-LGBT adults.3 The mental health of Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults has also worsened throughout the pandemic, relative to white adults.4 Several factors, such as anti-transgender legislation, mass shootings, and increases in hate crimes have many feeling unsafe and anxious.5,6,7
As mental health worsens, mental health providers are in high demand. 60% of psychologists have full caseloads, and nearly half report feeling burned out.8 Policies that target specific stressors could help ease this burden. For example, a recent study found that the expanded Child Tax Credits helped lower anxiety symptoms for low-income families, and increased mental health benefits for Black and Hispanic adults (Child Poverty).9
“A Path Forward”. Blanding, Dehler. Vanderbilt University. November, 2022. https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2022/11/07/a-path-forward-amid-an-unprecedented-mental-health-crisis-vanderbilt-research-provides-new-insights-possible-solutions/
“At least four-in-ten U.S. adults have faced high levels of psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic”. Pasquini, Keeter. Pew. December, 2022. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/12/12/at-least-four-in-ten-u-s-adults-have-faced-high-levels-of-psychological-distress-during-covid-19-pandemic/
“Mental Health Struggles Higher Among LGBT Adults Than Non-LGBT Adults in All Age Groups”. Marlay, File, and Scherer. U.S. Census Bureau. December, 2022. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/12/lgbt-adults-report-anxiety-depression-at-all-ages.html
“Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health and Mental Health Care During The COVID-19 Pandemic”. Thomeer, Moody, and Yahirun. National Library of Medicine. March, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35318615/
“Anxiety, Depression Among LGBT Adults Worsened During COVID-19 Pandemic”. Gonzales. SHRM. January, 2023. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/pages/anxiety-depression-among-lgbt-adults-worsened-during-covid-19-pandemic.aspx
“This record-breaking year for anti-transgender legislation would affect minors the most”. Krishnakumar. CNN. April, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/15/politics/anti-transgender-legislation-2021
“FBI Releases 2021 Hate Crime Statistics”. U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics
“Psychologists struggle to meet demand amid mental health crisis”. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/practitioner/2022-covid-psychologist-workload
“Effects Of The 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit On Adults’ Mental health: A Quasi-Experimental Study”. Batra, Jackson, and Hamad. Health Affairs. January, 2023. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00733#:~:text=We%20found%20that%20the%20expanded,financial%20hardship%20and%20mental%20health.
