Major depression on the rise among everyone, new data shows
Biggest increase in diagnoses seen in teens
by Maggie Fox / May.10.2018 /
www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/major-depression-rise-among-everyone-new-data-shows-n873146
A new report from Blue Cross Blue Shield finds 4.4 percent of adults with commercial health insurance were diagnosed with major depression in 2016 . This is 4% of 41 million people and does not include people who do not have insurance.
What’s behind the increase?
“Many people are worried about how busy they are,” said Dr. Laurel Williams, chief of psychiatry at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“There’s a lack of community. There’s the amount of time that we spend in front of screens and not in front of other people. If you don’t have a community to reach out to, then your hopelessness doesn’t have any place to go.”
Kids and young adults, especially, feel rushed and pressured, and social isolation, poor school performance, and impaired sleep all contribute to depression.
“Diagnoses of major depression have risen dramatically by 33 percent since 2013,” the report reads.
Among young adults aged 18 to 34, 4.4 percent had major depression in 2016, compared to 3 percent in 2013. That’s a 47 percent increase.
The highest percentage of major depression diagnoses were among people aged 35 to 49. The survey found 5.8 percent of 35-to 49-year-olds had major depression in 2016, compared to 4.6 percent three years before.
Depression “may be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors,” the CDC says.
Risk factors include:
Experiencing traumatic or stressful events, such as physical or sexual abuse, the death of a loved one, or financial problems
Going through a major life change‚ even if it was planned
Having a medical problem, such as cancer, stroke, or chronic pain
Taking certain medications
Using alcohol or drugs
Having blood relatives who have had depression
Perhaps most troubling is the high rate of children and young adults who have depression, the report said. Many years of risk lie ahead if they do not get treatment, which can include medication, therapy or both.
People with depression often seem irritable rather than sad or anxious which can make symptoms easy to miss.
“Many people are worried about how busy they are,” said Dr. Laurel Williams, chief of psychiatry at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“There’s a lack of community. There’s the amount of time that we spend in front of screens and not in front of other people. If you don’t have a community to reach out to, then your hopelessness doesn’t have any place to go.”
Kids and young adults, especially, feel rushed and pressured, and social isolation, poor school performance, and impaired sleep all contribute to depression.
Read more…https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/major-depression-rise-among-everyone-new-data-shows