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Diagnosis of major depression on the rise in US: Study

Sunday, 13 May 2018 2:28 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 13 May 2018 3:39 PM ]

Data from Blue Cross Blue Shield said the number of diagnoses for major depression have increased. (Getty images)

New research shows a sharp spike in cases of major depression in the United States in recent years, with more and more Americans reporting that they are anxious, depressed and even suicidal.

Diagnoses of major depression, also known clinical depression, rose 33 percent in yje US from 2013 to 2016, mostly among young Americans, according to a study published Thursday by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association {BCBSA), a federation of 36 separate health insurance organizations.

Millennials and teenagers have experienced even faster rates of depression. Rates of depression increased 63 percent in adolescents (ages 12 to 17) and 47 percent in millennials (ages 18 to 34), the study found.

"Major depression diagnoses are growing quickly, especially for adolescents and millennials," Trent Haywood, senior vice president and chief medical officer for BCBSA, said in a press release. "The high rates for adolescents and millennials could have a substantial health impact for decades to come.”

One potential factor for the quick jump in major depression rates among teens and kids is the increased use of social media and video games.

Overall, more than nine million Americans were diagnosed with depression in 2016, accounting for more than four percent of the population, the study found. However, far more likely suffer from the condition without ever being diagnosed.

Women were twice as likely to be diagnosed with major depression than men, 6 percent vs. 3 percent, according to the health insurance company's Health of America Report.

“Further education and research is needed to identify methods for both physicians and patients to effectively treat major depression and begin a path to recovery and better overall health," Haywood said.

PressTV-Mental illnesses growing in US: Study

A new study has revealed that more Americans are suffering from serious psychological distress than in the past decades.

Depression has a greater negative impact on the overall health of people in the US than any other condition with the exception of high blood pressure, according to the report authors.

People with major depression are nearly 30 percent less healthy, on average, than those without depression. Eighty-five percent of people with major depression have one or more other serious chronic health conditions, and nearly 30 percent have four or more other health conditions.

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