Prevalence of Depression Among Adolescents in the U.S. From 2009 to 2019: Analysis of Trends by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Income

Abstract

Purpose: Major depression is a leading cause of disability and represents a significant health concern for adolescents. Evidence of temporal trends in adolescent depression stratified by sociodemographic characteristics is needed.

Methods: This study drew on 11 years of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 167,783), a nationally representative survey of adolescents aged 12-17 years conducted between 2009 and 2019.

Results: The prevalence of past-year major depressive episode (MDE) increased by 7.7 percentage points from 8.1% to 15.8% between 2009 and 2019. MDE increased by 12 percentage points from 11.4% to 23.4% among girls. The gender difference in the prevalence of MDE increased from 6.4% to 14.8% between 2009 and 2019. Black participants experienced a comparatively small increase in depression (4.1%).

Conclusions: Since 2009 there has been a sharp and sustained increase in depression among adolescent girls in the U.S. This concerning trend highlights the critical importance of directing prevention and intervention efforts toward this group.

Keywords: Depression; Major depressive disorder; Mood disorders; Prevalence trends; Sociodemographic characteristics.

Copyright © 2021 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.