Diagnosis for major depression have increased dramatically across the U.S., especially in teens and young adults and varying from state to state, according to a study of insurance claims by provider Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
More than 9 million people have major depression, representing a 33 percent increase over the three-year period. Of those, 85 percent also had one or more serious chronic health condition, the analysis found.
Rhode Island had the most BCBS members with a major depression diagnosis, at 6.4 percent. Hawaii, however, had the lowest rate of 3.2 percent.
Depression rates also varied between cities, with 6.8 percent of insurance members in Topeka, Kansas, having a diagnosis depression compared to 1.5 percent In Laredo, Texas.
Among young girls and boys, the rate of increase is even more dramatic at 65 percent and 47 percent respectively.
Millennials are also increasingly being diagnosed with depression, a 47 percent increase over the same time frame.
“The high rates for adolescents and millennials could have a substantial health impact for decades to come,” Trent Haywood, senior vice president and chief medical officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield, said in a statement.
“Further education and research is needed to identify methods for both physicians and patients to effectively treat major depression and begin a path to recovery and better overall health.”
The latest study supports similar research on increasing anxiety and suicides among teens and young adults. A recent report by Cigna Health insurance found that Generation Z, 18- to 22-year-olds, report being more anxious than any other age group.
Suicide rates for teen girls hit an all-time-high in 2015 at 5.1 deaths per 100,000 people, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, doubling since 2007 when the rate was 2.4.
Suicide rates for boys are also increasing but are still below peak levels hit in the mid-1990s, with 14.2 deaths per 100,000 compared to 18.1 in 1990.
“It is possible that the increased rates of depression in adolescents are related to a combination of increased electronics use and sleep disruptions in already vulnerable individuals,” Dr. Karyn Horowitz, a psychiatrist affiliated with Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island, said in the statement.
“Increased use of electronics, video games more commonly in boys and social media/texting more commonly in girls, can lead to increased conflict both within the home and with peers.”
• Laura Kelly can be reached at lkelly@washingtontimes.com.
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