Uncertainty loomed in the latter days of 2019 as reports of a rise of a mysterious virus rose worldwide. As government officials called for new mask mandates and quarantine orders in the spring of 2020, life, as many of us knew it, dramatically began to change. Many lost jobs, faced significant changes in their lives, grew lonely during months of self-isolation, and even lost loved ones due to COVID-19.
Just one of these factors can lead to a depressive episode, or at the very least, tremendous levels of stress. And some have experienced several of these events all at once. Before the first COVID-19 wave in 2019, a little over 18 percent of adults in the United States expressed having symptoms of depression that were either mild, moderate, or severe for at least two weeks. Earlier studies show that about 15 million Americans (or 7 percent of the population) have clinical depression at any given time. But has the COVID-19 pandemic caused people to be even more depressed? Experts seem to be responding with a resounding, “Yes.”
Defining depression
Depression, though common, is a very serious medical illness and mood disorder known to negatively affect how a person feels, acts, and thinks. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide, with an estimated 5.0% of adults suffering from it.
Depression should not be confused with general mood changes and emotional responses to everyday challenges, though some symptoms are similar. For example, depressive symptoms include sadness, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness. However, the disorder can also include difficulty eating, sleeping, loss of interest in usual activities, feelings of worthlessness, and a collection of symptoms that can last for weeks.
Depression, at its worse, can lead to self-harm or can even be deadly, especially if left untreated. In fact, depression is the leading cause of all suicides and the fourth leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds globally.
The COVID-19 effect
In a U.S.-based questionnaire study, researchers sought to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affects mental health. The results were a red alert to many mental health professionals. The study polled participants about depressive symptoms at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They surveyed them again just one year later, then used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2017-2018 to compare.
The NHANES Research showed that cases of depression at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic increased more than three times higher than NHANES’ 2017-2018 data. Even more shocking to mental health professionals are the one-year results. Rather than depression lowering throughout the year, polls showed a 5 percent increase in elevated symptoms of depression between 2020 and 2021.
Mental health doctors compared this unique spike to previous traumatic events like Hurricane Ike and the Ebola outbreak, in which depressive peaks typically diminished over time rather than remaining high.
Factors affecting the spike
While the COVID-19 pandemic transformed most people’s lives in significant ways, studies show certain factors lead to higher risks for spikes in depression.
The 2020-2021 poll study found that people with lower incomes experienced higher rates of depression compared to their counterparts. People who earned less than $20,000 annually experienced depressive symptoms at 46.9% in the 2020 survey compared to those earning at least $75,000, who came in at around 17%.
This disparity exists for several reasons, likely some of which have to do with the often high cost of mental health support. The percentage of people with depression reporting unmet mental health care needs increased from 9.2% to 11.7% between 2020 and 2021. Lower-income people face the strain of untreated depression. This fact, paired with economic pressure due to poverty, can cause added stress or even chronic stress, often leading to worsened depressive symptoms.
Younger adults also expressed experiencing higher rates of depression than older adults. Furthermore, unmet mental health care needs increased for adults aged 18–29 years.
How we can get better
COVID-19 has helped expose decades-long disparities in the U.S. mental health system and the importance of accessible mental health support. Health care professionals and advocates have made major changes to meet patients’ needs better. For example, there’s been a new surge of telehealth and remote patient care since the pandemic, serving as a more accessible and often cheaper alternative to more traditional health care visits.
Mental Health start-ups like Cerebral and TalkSpace are gaining momentum from individuals who, before COVID, may not have considered mental health to be accessible to them. Additionally, physicians, doctors, and health care professionals outside of the mental health realm are responding to the high stress of the pandemic by incorporating more emphasis on stress reduction for themselves and their patients. Though the pandemic has made us all more depressed, the response to this spike leaves many optimistic about a more mentally healthy future. Here’s to all of these positive changes remaining even after the COVID-19 pandemic finally subsides.
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