Thursday, June 15, 2023 (Health Day News) — For the first time, researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have analyzed statistics about depression in Americans to determine which conditions are most likely to develop a debilitating illness. Accurately identified the height.

After adjusting for age, 18.5% of all American adults included in the new analysis said they had been diagnosed with depression at least once in their lifetime.

However, according to a team led by Benjamin Lee, incidence rates varied widely by state, from the lowest in Hawaii at 12.7% to more than double that in West Virginia (27.5%). He is with his CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

The new findings should “guide state and local efforts to prevent, treat and manage depression,” according to each state’s level of need, Lee’s group said.

The greatest need appears to be in the southeastern and northwestern regions of the country.

For example, in addition to West Virginia, residents of six southeastern states—Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Tennessee—have adult depression reporting rates of nearly 23% or higher. The study found that.

In the Northwest, the researchers found depression rates of 21% or higher in Montana, Oregon, and Washington.

According to the report, nearly 23% of adults living in Utah have been diagnosed with depression at least once, and two northeastern states, Maine and Vermont, each have adult depression rates of 23%. It is said that it exceeds

States with the lowest rates of depression (excluding Hawaii) include Alaska (15.7%), California (13.9%), Florida (14.9%), Illinois (15%), and New Jersey (15.6%).

The new statistic is based on 2020 federal government data collected in more than 3,100 counties nationwide as part of the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System study. Of the approximately 393,000 adults who responded to the survey, “Do you have depression, major depression, dysthymia, or mild depression? Have you ever been told that you have a pathological disorder?”

A county-by-county comparison shows how mental health problems are geographically concentrated. According to the report, rates of adult depression by county ranged from a low of 10.7% to nearly 32%.

Overall, “About 1 in 5 adults in the United States reported having received a diagnosis of depression from a health care provider in 2020, and among women, younger adults, and adults with lower levels of education, There is a high prevalence of depression,” Lee’s team noted.

Making mental health care affordable and easy for all Americans is key to reducing depression rates everywhere, researchers said. To that end, “decision makers can use these estimates to guide allocation of resources to areas where they are most needed,” they said.

The analysis was published June 16 in the CDC journal. Weekly reports of morbidity and mortality.

For more information:

For more information on the symptoms of depression, American Psychiatric Association.

sauce: Weekly reports of morbidity and mortality, June 16, 2023