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There’s a Pandemic of Depression
New data shows depression rates are high and the burden falls disproportionately on people already at risk
The coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing trauma for people around the world, and new data reveals that the rising rates of depression are especially high for people already at risk for severe economic stress.
A new study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open and led by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health reports that the prevalence of depression symptoms among American adults has risen more than threefold during the Covid-19 pandemic. Having a lower income, having less than $5,000 in savings, and having exposure to stressors like job loss and death of a loved one from Covid-19 were all associated with a greater risk for depression during the pandemic.
The researchers compared results from a survey of depression symptom prevalence from about 1,440 people during Covid-19 to the responses of over 5,000 people from before the pandemic. Specifically, they found that the prevalence of…
