Depression in the U.S. has dramatically skyrocketed since the mRNA vaccine rollout, according to a study released by the CDC on Thursday.
The study was conducted across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. and focused on adults over the age of 18.
Around 393,000 adults responded to the survey where they were asked: “Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional ever told you that you had a depressive disorder, including depression, major depression, dysthymia, or minor depression?”
Msn.com reports: The survey provided worrying results, reflecting that out of all participants, nearly 74,000 reported feelings of depression, amounting to a weighted result of 47 million U.S. adults (18.7%) who suffer from depression. The symptoms of depression can vary from person to person, ranging from feelings of excessive guilt or low self-worth to hopelessness and suicidal thoughts.
These feelings increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Dr. Rebecca Brendel, president of the American Psychiatric Association. “The fact that Americans are more depressed and struggling after this time of incredible stress and isolation is perhaps not surprising,” Brendel told CNN last month. “There are lingering effects on our health, especially our mental health, from the past three years that disrupted everything we knew.”
The study has a minor silver lining: it reveals that discussions of mental health are becoming more mainstream, meaning more people could seek the help they previously may have shied away from. While this will increase the rates of people diagnosed with depression, this could be a positive result long term.
“We’re making it easier to talk about mental health and looking at it as part of our overall wellness just like physical health,” Brendel told CNN. “People are aware of depression, and people are seeking help for it.”