Vera

Has Depression Decreased in the Years Since COVID?

This article examines prevalence rates of depression in the U.S., comparing data from 2013-2014, 2020, and 2021-2023 to determine if the prevalence of depression has decreased or increased since the COVID pandemic in 2020-2021.

When we think back to 2020 – if we must – most of us think about the coronavirus pandemic, and remember the uncertainty, worry, and confusion it brought to virtually every aspect of our lives. From work, to school, to socializing, everything changed quickly. And along with the unexpected changes came the warnings from mental health professionals about the potential negative mental health consequences of the pandemic.

Experts warned us about the potential anxiety associated with a worldwide pandemic itself – worry about friends and loved ones catching the virus, or catching it ourselves – but most of the warnings revolved around the potential negative mental health consequences of the public health measures enacted to stop and/or reduce the spread of COVID, including:

  • Social distancing
  • Sheltering-in-place
  • Virtual work
  • Virtual school
  • Essential travel only

Educators warned of learning loss among students and the possibility of increasing anxiety and depression among all demographic groups as a result of the confluence of factors such as isolation, job loss, worry about the disease, and the persistent, ongoing uncertainty that characterized the period after the beginning of the pandemic and before the arrival of vaccines.

Now, five years later, we have the perspective – and the data – to look back and answer questions about the impact of the pandemic on mental health. We’ll share the results of recent publications on depression to determine whether rates of depression decreased, increased, or remained stable in the years since COVID.

How Did the Prevalence of Depression Change Between 2013 and 2023?

To answer this question, we need data – and thankfully, a recent publication provides us with exactly the data we need.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHIS), a department of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), reported the prevalence of past-two-week depression from August 2021 to August 2023, after COVID, and compared it to rates reported in 2013-2014, before COVID, and rates reported in 2020, during COVID.

To read a brief summary of the report, click here.

To get a complete picture of the prevalence rates of past-two week depression in the U.S. for these three time periods – 2013-2014, 2020, and 2021-2023, we collected the statistics from the study we mention above, “Depression Prevalence in Adolescents and Adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023,” from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2021 NSDUH), and from the report “Characteristics of Adults Age 18 and Older Who Took Prescription Medication for Depression: United States, 2023.

Let’s take a look at this peer-reviewed data – all from reputable sources – to learn about trends in rates of depression for people age 12+ before, during, and in the years since COVID. First, the overall trends:

Prevalence of Past-Two-Week Depression

  • 2013-2014, total: 8.2%
  • 2020, total: 10%
  • 2021-2023, total: 13%

That’s a 62.5% overall increase from 2013-2014, and a 30% increase since the pandemic. Now let’s look at a breakdown of that data for various demographic categories.

Changes in Depression Prevalence 2013-2023: Demographic Groups

Firsts, let’s look the data broken down by age group for the three time periods of interest: 2013-2014, 2020, and 2021-2023.

Prevalence of Past-Two-Week Depression By Age Group

2013-2014:
    • 12+ total: 8%
    • 12-17: 11%
    • 18-25: 9%
    • 26-49: 7.2%
    • 50+: 5.2%
    • 65+: 3%
2020:
    • 12+ total: 10%
    • 12-17: 20%
    • 18-25: 18%
    • 26-49: 9%
    • 50+: 5%
    • 65+: 3%
 2021-2023:
    • 12+ total: 13%
    • 12-19: 19%
    • 20-39: 17%
    • 40-59: 11%
    • 60+: 9%

While these age categories aren’t directly comparable – one set is from the CDC and two are from the NSDUH – this data shows significant increases between 2013-2014 and 2020 for all groups, slight decreases between 2020 and 2021-2023 for younger adults and adolescents, and significant increases between 2020 and 2021-2023 for older adults. Of particular note is the doubling of rates among young people, between 2013-2014 and 2020-2025: that’s why many experts indicate we’re in the midst of a youth mental health crisis.

Next, we’ll examine the data by gender.

Prevalence of Past-Two-Week Depression By Gender

2013-2014:
    • Female: 11%
    • Male: 5%
2020:
    • Female: 14%
    • Male: 13%
2021-2023:
    • Female: 16%
      • 12-19: 27%
      • 20-39: 19%
      • 40-59: 14%
      • 60+: 11%
    • Male: 10%
      • 12-19: 12%
      • 20-39: 14%
      • 40-59: 8%
      • 60+: 6%

Between 2013-2014 and 2021-2023, these figures show a 45% increase for females and a 100% increase for males. Since COVID, prevalence of depression decreased among males and increased among males, with female adolescents showing close to twice the prevalence of male adolescents in 2023-2024.

Those are the overall prevalence levels by gender and age categories. Next, we’ll look at the prevalence of depression by severity, or the degree of difficulty depressive symptoms cause at home, work, or during social activities: no difficulty, some difficulty, extreme difficulty.

Prevalence of Depression By Severity: The Latest Data

While prevalence of depression is important to track and understand, there are several other metrics that can help us understand how various factors related to depression have changed over the past decade plus, including the severity of depression, treatment rates for people with depression, and the number of people with depression who take antidepressant medication.

Depression Severity, 2021-2023

Level of difficulty at home, work, or social activities, total:

No difficulty:
  • Total: 12.1%
  • Female: 11.8%
  • Male: 12.7%
Some difficulty:
  • Total: 56.7%
  • Female: 57.3%
  • Male: 55.8%
Extreme Difficulty:
  • Total: 31.2%
  • Female: 31%
  • Male: 31.5%

For comparison, we’ll present the statistics on depression severity for 2020:

Major Depressive Episode (MDE) 2020

Mild/Moderate MDE, or Some Difficulty:
  • Adults 18+: 8.3%
    • Females: 10.3%
    • Males: 6.2%
MDE With Severe Impairment, or Extreme Difficulty:
  • Adults 18+: 5.7%
    • Females: 7.2%
    • Males: 4.1%

These statistics present us with a wrinkle in the data we’ve never reported before. Although prevalence rates for females are far greater than prevalence rates for males, we see the reported severity of depression – when stratified across three levels of difficulty – almost identical for females and males. However, when we look at the same metrics with only two levels of difficulty recorded, we see females reporting severe disruption at almost twice the rate of males.

We’ll close this article with two more sets of data: treatment prevalence by gender and prevalence of antidepressant medication, also by gender.

Received Professional Support for Depression

  • 2020 total: 20.3%
    • Female: 25.6%
    • Male: 14.6%
  • 2021-2023 total: 39.3%
    • Female: 43%
    • Male: 33%

That’s astounding: treatment rates for depression have almost doubled since 2020, with rates among males increasing alongside rates for females. Now, our final data set:

Took Prescription Medication for Depression

  • 2020 total: 13%
    • Female: 17%
    • Male: 8%
  • 2021-2023 total: 10%
    • Female: 15%
    • Male: 7%

That’s interesting: in the context of increasing prevalence and treatment, the number of people taking prescription medication for depression decreased. One potential explanation is the increase in holistic, integrated treatment for depression, which includes an emphasis on therapy and lifestyle changes in addition to common, first-line prescription medication.

What’s the Answer? Has Depression Decreased Since COVID?

No.

Overall, prevalence rates for depression have not decreased since COVID – they’ve increased.

We see one exception: a small decrease in the overall prevalence of depression between 2020 and 2021-2023 for adolescents. However, we need to see that small decrease in context. That’s a one percent reduction between 2020 and 2021-2023 after an increase of one hundred percent between 2013-2014 and 2020.

In summary, since COVID, rates of depression among adults in the U.S. has increased by around 30 percent. That means we have work to do. With major stressors in our past, we need to keep our eye on the ball, and offer evidence-based support to anyone who needs it – and the data say more people need professional support for depression now than ever before.

by Vera