Anxiety and depression

By Metro Creative

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that rates of anxiety and depression rose dramatically after the onset of COVID-19.

According to the CDC, the range of average monthly percentages of adults in the United States reporting symptoms of anxiety between January and December of 2019 was 7.4% to 8.6%.

Between April 2020, or roughly three weeks after the World Health Organization declared a global COVID-19 pandemic, and August 2021, the average submonthly percentages of U.S. residents reporting symptoms of anxiety was between 28.2% and 37.2%. That means the rate of anxiety rose by about four times between April 2020 and August 2021.

A similar spike was prevalent among U.S. adults reporting symptoms of depression during that same period. Though percentages were between 5.9 and 7.5% between January and December 2019, they rose to between 20.2 and 31.1% between April 2020 and August 2021. These figures are important to keep in mind as the world tries to move on from the pandemic.

Despite individuals’ best efforts, rates of anxiety and depression could remain significantly higher than they were in 2019, underscoring the need for accessible education about each disorder.

— Metro Creative