In early 2020, characterized by the outbreak of COVID-19, across select OECD countries there was an increase in the prevalence of depression or symptoms of depression. In the United States, for example, around 23.5 percent of repondents reported suffering from depression or had symptoms of depression in 2020, while only 6.6 percent reported depression or depression symptoms in the year prior. The graph shows the results of different national surveys measuring the prevalence of depression or symptoms of depression in early 2020 and in the year before.

In 2023, around 9.4 percent of males and 27.3 percent of females in the United States aged 12 to 17 years reported that they had a major depressive episode in the past year. This statistic depicts the percentage of U.S. youths with a major depressive episode in the past year from 2004 to 2023, by gender.

This statistic depicts the percentage of the U.S. population who had depression from 1990 to 2019. According to the data, 4.73 percent of the U.S. population had depression in 2019.

In 2021, it was estimated that around four percent of the population worldwide suffered from depressive disorders. This statistic depicts the percentage of the population who had depressive disorders worldwide from 1990 to 2021.

A survey of college students in the United States in 2022-2023 found that around 41 percent had symptoms of depression. Symptoms of depression vary in severity and can include a loss of interest/pleasure in things once found enjoyable, feelings of sadness and hopelessness, fatigue, changes in sleep, and thoughts of death or suicide.

Mental health among college students Due to the life changes and stress that often come with attending college, mental health problems are not unusual among college students. The most common mental health problems college students have been diagnosed with are anxiety disorders and depression. Fortunately, these are two of the most treatable forms of mental illness, with psychotherapy and/or medications the most frequent means of treatment. However, barriers to access mental health services persist, with around 21 percent of college students stating that in the past year financial reasons caused them to receive fewer services for their mental or emotional health than they would have otherwise received.

Depression in the United States Depression is not only a problem among college students but affects people of all ages. In 2021, around nine percent of those aged 26 to 49 years in the United States reported a major depressive episode in the past year. Depression in the United States is more prevalent among females than males, but suicide is almost four times more common among males than females. Death rates due to suicide in the U.S. have increased for both genders in the past few years, highlighting the issue of depression and other mental health disorders and the need for easy access to mental health services.

In 2022, some 8.8 percent of adults in the United States reported experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year. However, among those aged 18 to 25 years, almost 20 percent reported a major depressive episode. Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States and in severe cases can seriously affect one’s ability to function.

Depression among men and women Although depression can affect anyone, women are more likely to report experiencing a major depressive episode than men. In 2021, around 10 percent of women in the United States stated they had a major depressive episode in the past year, compared to six percent of men. Women aged 18 to 20 were the most likely to suffer from a major depressive episode with up to 27 percent reporting such an episode in 2021. In comparison, just 12 percent of men aged 18 to 20 said they had a major depressive episode at that time. Among men, those aged 21 to 25 had the highest prevalence of major depression.

Treatment for depression Fortunately, depression is treatable, and the vast majority of people who receive treatment benefit from it. Depression is most commonly treated with medication, talk therapy, or a combination of both. In 2021, around 11.5 million people in the United States received treatment for a major depressive episode. The most common type of professionals seen for such treatment were general practitioners or family doctors and psychiatrists or psychotherapists. Among U.S. youths who are treated for a major depressive disorder, very few are treated using only prescription medication. Instead, it is much more common for youth to see or talk to a health professional only, or to see a health professional and use prescription medication.

In 2024, the highest share of people diagnosed with depression belonged to the age group 16 to 29 years, with the age group 30 to 44 years having a nearly equal high share of people diagnosed with depression. The age group with the lowest share of depression belonged to people between 65 and above.

A survey of U.S. adults fielded from April 30 to May 27, 2024, found that some 14 percent of respondents reported symptoms of depressive disorder in the last two weeks. This survey has been running since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and found an increased share of people reporting symptoms of depression during the first year of the pandemic. Symptoms of depression can include, but are not limited to, feelings of sadness and hopelessness, a loss of interest in things once found pleasurable, sleep disturbances, anxiety, tiredness, and a change in appetite.

Differences in depression among men and women Although rates of suicide are much higher among men than women in the United States, women are more likely to suffer from depression than men. Surveys from 2020 to 2023, found that women constantly reported symptoms of depressive disorder more often than men, although the difference varied from a few percentage points to decimal points. However, in 2021, around 10 percent of women reported having a major depressive episode in the past year, compared to six percent of men. Major depressive episodes are most common among women aged 18 to 25 years.

How many people receive treatment for depression? In 2021, it was estimated that around 11.5 million people in the United States with a major depressive episode received treatment. The most common professionals seen for a major depressive episode were general practitioners or family doctors, psychiatrists or psychotherapists, and counselors. However, many people with depression and other mental health problems do not receive treatment for various reasons. In 2021, cost was the number one reason U.S. adults stated they did not receive the mental health treatment they needed.

This statistic depicts the percentage of the population who had depression worldwide from 1990 to 2021, by gender. According to the data, 4.8 percent of females worldwide had depression in 2021, compared to 3.2 percent of males.

This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the U.S. with depression from 2007 to 2016, by gender. In 2015-2016, around 5.4 percent of men and 9.3 percent of women had depression.

From April 30 to May 27, 2024, around 14 percent of women in the U.S. recently felt symptoms of depressive disorder in the past two weeks, compared to 13.7 percent of men. This statistic shows the percentage of U.S. respondents over the age of 18 years who reported symptoms of depressive disorder in the last seven days or two weeks, between April 23, 2020 and May 27, 2024, by gender.

In 2021, around 117 and 44 new cases of depression per 100,000 population were estimated for women and men, respectively, in Mexico. These figures show an increase in comparison to 2014, when the number of new depression cases was estimated at 87.7 and 27.12 per 100,000 inhabitants for women and men, respectively. Based on self-reported data, an estimated 1.26 percent of the population in Mexico suffered from a mental health problem or condition in 2020.

In the United Kingdom (UK), the share of young people who have had experiences of feeling down or depressed has in general increased from 2009 to 2021. In 2021, 41 percent of the respondents reported feeling down or depressed, a significant increase from 15 percent in 2010.

In 2020, around 26 percent of those aged 25 to 34 years in high-income countries reported that at least once in their lifetime they were so anxious or depressed that they could not continue their regular daily activities as they normally would for two weeks or longer. This statistic illustrates the percentage of respondents worldwide who at some point in their life had felt so anxious or depressed that they could not continue their regular daily activities as they normally would for two weeks or longer as of 2020, by country income and age.

From 2001 to 2020, the prevalence of depressive disorders increased in the Belgian population. In 2020, it was estimated that 16 percent of the Belgian population had a form of depressive disorder. Depression and anxiety were the most common mental health issues in the country. Although the prevalence of such disorders seemed to decrease significantly in 2018, this could be the result of a methodological break. Indeed, two different scales were used to evaluate depressive disorders in respondents. From 2001 to 2013, the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90r) was used, whereas the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) was used in 2018 and 2020. Regional prevalence of depression and antidepressant consumption  From a regional perspective, Wallonia faced the highest prevalence of depressive disorders, whilst the prevalence was at its lowest in Flanders. In 2018, an estimated 7.6 percent of the Belgian population were taking antidepressants. Similarly, the regional use of antidepressants was higher in Wallonia than in the other regions. However, it is important to state that such medication can be prescribed for other afflictions than depression. Ultimately, the use of antidepressants was on the rise in Belgium. Impact of the coronavirus on mental health  Social restrictions due to the coronavirus are bound to have negatively impacted mental health. The high prevalence of depressive disorders is to be considered in the context of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Indeed, the 2020 figure has been calculated early in the year, during the confinement of the Belgian population. Furthermore, as any scale evaluating psychological problems, a margin of error is to be considered. Nonetheless, these numbers give useful insight into the landscape of mental health in Belgium.

A survey conducted in 2022 found that young adults aged between 18 and 24 were more likely to suffer from moderate to severe stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms. That year, around 66 percent of respondents from this age group reported stress-related symptoms, while 25 percent of those aged 65 and older had similar symptoms. Similar age group trends were also noted for negative effects on wellbeing from feelings of loneliness. Additionally, fewer men than women were likely to report having mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Anxiety, depression, and stress in Europe In Europe, there is a notable variation in the prevalence of mental illnesses. Throughout the epidemic, depression and anxiety increased in all EU nations, affecting young people, particularly young women and those in financial difficulties. A study published by the OECD reported that 55 percent of adults residing in the EU were at risk of depression in 2022. Another study, published in the same year, found that more than half of the respondents surveyed in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Italy had reported experiencing stress. Anxiety, depression, and loneliness in the U.S. In the United States, anxiety, depression, and loneliness are prevalent issues affecting a significant portion of the population. According to a survey done in 2022, one-third of U.S. adults aged between 18 and 29 years mentioned that they “always” or “often” felt depressed or lonely in the past year. Over half of U.S. adults in the same age group reported that they felt anxious. Furthermore, adults with lower household incomes were more likely than those with higher household incomes to mention that they felt anxious, lonely, or depressed.

Among the elderly in Germany, only five percent had been told by a doctor they had depression, anxiety, or anothor mental health condition as of 2021, compared to 20 percent of the elderly in the United States. This statistic shows the percentage of seniors in developed countries that had been told by a doctor that they had depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition as of 2021, by country.

In 2024, women had the highest share of diagnosed depression for all age groups below the age of 85 in Sweden. Among women, 6.5 percent of those aged between 16 and 29 years of age were suffering from depression. Men above the age of 85 were more prone to be diagnosed with depression than women of the same age.

A survey from 2022 found that around 33 percent of adults in the United States felt anxious always or often in the past 12 months. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who stated they always or often felt anxious, depressed, or lonely in the past 12 months as of 2022.

Between 2018 and 2019, over 15 percent of children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years in the United States reported they had a major depressive episode during the past year. This statistic illustrates the percentage of children and adolescents in the U.S. who had or have ever had depression from 2013 to 2019.