During 2013 to 2016, 8.1 percent of U.S. adults had depression

(HealthDay)—During 2013 to 2016, 8.1 percent of American adults aged 20 years and older had depression in a given two-week period, according to a February data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

Debra J. Brody, M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Md., and colleagues used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine the prevalence of depression, based on scores from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

The researchers found that 8.1 percent of American adults aged 20 years and older had depression in a given two-week period during 2013 to 2016. Depression was more common in women than men (10.4 versus 5.5 percent). Compared with Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, or non-Hispanic white adults, depression was lower among non-Hispanic Asian adults. There was a decrease in the prevalence of depression as family income levels increased. At least some difficulty with work, home, and social activities due to depression was reported for about 80 percent of adults with depression. There was no significant change in the percentage of American adults with depression from 2007-2008 to 2015-2016.

"Some persons with depression may not have been able or willing to participate in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey," the authors write. "Therefore, these findings may represent conservative estimates of depression among adults in the United States."

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