Symptoms of Anxiety or Depressive Disorder

The share of adults with symptoms of anxiety or depression has spiked to 31% nationwide (up from 11% in 2019). In West Virginia, 40% of adults report symptoms.

Symptoms of anxiety or depression, Dec 1 - 13, 2021

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.

Anxiety and depression are often associated with economic worries and social isolation. Although 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.¹

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 pandemic hit. Since the Covid crisis began, Americans’ blood pressure has measurably risen,² drug overdoses have jumped 30%,2 and attempted suicides among adolescents jumped 31%.³ In December, 31% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, up from 11% in 2019.⁴ In West Virginia 40% of adults report symptoms, yet the state has the 3rd lowest number of mental health providers per capita (Mental health providers, by state).

1. “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/

2. “Rise in Blood Pressure Observed Among US Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Laffin, Kaufman, Chen, Niles, Arellano, Bare, and Hazen. Circulation. December, 2021. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.057075

3. “Emergency Department Visits for Suspected Suicide Attempts Among Persons Aged 12–25 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 2019–May 2021” Yard, Radhakrishnan, Ballesteros, Sheppard, Gates, Stein, Hartnett, Kite-Powell, Rodgers, Adjemian, Ehlman, Holland, Idaikkadar, Ivey-Stephenson, Martinez, Law, and Stone. CDC. June, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7024e1.htm?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20220104&instance_id=49344&nl=the-morning&regi_id=78001017&segment_id=78602&te=1&user_id=89b05474f28af4c52697afe4e3d1f71e

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