The percentage of U.S. adults reporting symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder rose between August 2020 and February 2021, according to a CDC report published March 26.
The report is based on the ongoing Household Pulse Survey, a national online survey developed by the U.S. Census Bureau and the CDC, which was distributed to a nationally representative sample of the population.
Four study findings:
1. From August to February, the percentage of people who reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression during the last seven days rose from 36.4 percent to 41.5 percent, respectively.
2. In August, 9.2 percent of people reported an unmet need for counseling services or therapy during the previous four weeks. That rose to 11.7 percent in February.
3. Overall, the number of people who were receiving mental health treatment increased from 22.4 percent in August to 24.8 percent in February.
4. Adults aged 18 to 29 and people who didn't finish high school reported the largest increases in anxiety or depression symptoms.
"You have extended social restrictions, limits on businesses, isolation and issues with employment — these have all been associated with increases in mental health problems," Anjel Vahratian, PhD, lead study author and associate director at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, told The New York Times. "We can't speak to the direct causes because the survey didn't ask about the causes of the symptoms. But it suggests that a variety of things going on during the pandemic are involved."
To view the full report, click here.