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A woman struggles across a snow-covered 145th Street in upper Manhattan during a snowstorm in New York City

Depression diagnoses grew 33% over a three-year period in the US

33%

Health insurance company BlueCross BlueShield said that, based on an analysis of the 41 million people it insures, diagnosis of depression increased 33% between 2013 and 2016 in the US.

Published   |  Photo by Reuters/Mike Segar
A woman struggles across a snow-covered 145th Street in upper Manhattan during a snowstorm in New York City
33%

Rates of depression diagnoses in the US

A woman struggles across a snow-covered 145th Street in upper Manhattan during a snowstorm in New York City
33%

The analysis showed a particularly sharp rise among younger adults, with a 63% increase for people aged between 12 and 17, and a 47% rise for people aged 18 to 34.

A woman struggles across a snow-covered 145th Street in upper Manhattan during a snowstorm in New York City
33%

Diagnosis rate for major depression by age group in the US

A woman struggles across a snow-covered 145th Street in upper Manhattan during a snowstorm in New York City
33%

That doesn’t necessarily mean increasing numbers of Americans are becoming depressed, it’s just that more are seeking the treatment they need.

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