Symptoms of Anxiety or Depressive Disorder

The share of adults with symptoms of anxiety or depression has spiked nationwide, almost triple the level of 11% in 2019. In Louisiana, 42% of adults report symptoms.

Percent of adults with symptoms of anxiety or depression, U.S.

Sep 15 - Sep 27, 2021

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.

Before Covid, the United States was experiencing a mental health epidemic with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health diagnoses than any other high-income country.¹ Anxiety and depression are often associated with economic worries and social isolation. Despite the fact that growing GDP and low unemployment rates implied the U.S. economy was strong before Covid, these indicators were deceptive because a large share of adults had simply given up looking for work. As good-paying manufacturing jobs disappeared, white men with only a high school degree were particularly affected and suddenly found it difficult to earn family-sustaining wages. An increasing number died of suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol poisoning.²

When Covid struck, social isolation hit nearly every sector of society, and economic woes deepened particularly for low-wage workers. It is not surprising then that the share of adults experiencing anxiety or depression roughly tripled when the Covid crisis hit. As of September, 32% of Americans reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, up from 11% in 2019.³ Climate disasters are likely compounding the crisis particularly in states like Louisiana where nearly 42% report anxiety or depression. The U.S. has a relatively low supply of mental health workers, yet tackling the country’s mental health crisis will be key to ensuring all Americans’ right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

1. “Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use: Comparing U.S. Needs and Treatment Capacity with Those in Other High-Income Countries”. The Commonwealth Fund. May, 2020. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2020/may/mental-health-conditions-substance-use-comparing-us-other-countries

2. “America’s crisis of despair: A federal task force for economic recovery and societal well-being”. Graham. Brookings. February, 2021. https://www.brookings.edu/research/americas-crisis-of-despair-a-federal-task-force-for-economic-recovery-and-societal-well-being/

3. “Anxiety and Depression”. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/mental-health.htm