Treatment FAQ

percentage of depressed individuals who seek treatment

by Dr. Lizeth Kautzer II Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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In 2020, an estimated 66.0% U.S. adults aged 18 or older with major depressive episode received treatment in the past year. Among those individuals with major depressive episode with severe impairment, an estimated 71.0% received treatment in the past year.

Full Answer

How many people receive treatment for depression?

Only 1 in 5 people receive treatment consistent with current practice guidelines. 35% of adults with depression receive no treatment at all. If you have symptoms of depression, there are resources available that can help:

What percentage of the population is diagnosed with depression?

Prevalence of Depression. Nearly 50 percent of all people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder It’s estimated that 15 percent of the adult population will experience depression at some point in their lifetime.

What percentage of the US population receives mental health treatment?

In 2019, 19.2% of U.S. adults received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.

Do people with depression receive adequate care?

New Study: Vast Majority Of People With Depression Do Not Seek Treatment : Goats and Soda In poor countries, only 1 in 27 people received minimally adequate care. In wealthy countries, it's 1 in 5. "I lost more than 80 percent of my university friends," recalls Jagannath Lamichhane.

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What percentage of depressed people go to therapy?

A little bit over 69 percent of people reported getting treatment, 53 percent with medication, 62.5 percent through professional therapy, and almost 15 percent via non-professional support including self-help, support groups, and online.

What percentage of people seek mental health treatment?

Summary. In 2019, 19.2% of U.S. adults received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.

What percent of people do not seek treatment for depression?

In 2019, 24.7% of adults with a mental illness report an unmet need for treatment. Over 60% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. Even in states with the greatest access, nearly one in three are going without treatment.

Do the majority of people who suffer from depression seek treatment?

While the majority of individuals with depression have a full remission of the disorder with effective treatment,only about a third (35.3%) of those suffering from severe depression seek treatment from a mental health professional.

What are the statistics on mental illness?

An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older -- about 1 in 4 adults -- suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

What are the statistics of mental health?

21% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2020 (52.9 million people). This represents 1 in 5 adults. 5.6% of U.S. adults experienced serious mental illness in 2020 (14.2 million people). This represents 1 in 20 adults.

How many people are not treated for depression?

Treatment of Major Depressive Episode Among Adults In 2020, an estimated 66.0% U.S. adults aged 18 or older with major depressive episode received treatment in the past year. Among those individuals with major depressive episode with severe impairment, an estimated 71.0% received treatment in the past year.

What percent of the world is depressed?

Overview. Depression is a common illness worldwide, with an estimated 3.8% of the population affected, including 5.0% among adults and 5.7% among adults older than 60 years (1). Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression (1).

Why do people not receive treatment for depression?

An estimated 350 million people are affected by depression, and the vast majority of them don't get treatment for their condition either due to stigma or a lack of knowledge, according to a study of more than 50,000 people in 21 countries.

What is the depression rate in America 2020?

Depression among adults in the United States tripled in the early 2020 months of the global coronavirus pandemic—jumping from 8.5 percent before the pandemic to a staggering 27.8 percent.

What age group has the highest rate of depression 2020?

The percentage of adults who experienced any symptoms of depression was highest among those aged 18–29 (21.0%), followed by those aged 45–64 (18.4%) and 65 and over (18.4%), and lastly, by those aged 30–44 (16.8%). Women were more likely than men to experience mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of depression.

What percent of teens are depressed?

About 20 percent of all teens experience depression before they reach adulthood. Between 10 to 15 percent suffer from symptoms at any one time. Only 30 percent of depressed teens are being treated for it.

Major Depressive Episodes

Demographics

  • Depression can begin at any age and it can affect people of all races and across all socioeconomic statuses. Here are some of the statistics on the demographics of people with depression: 1. The median age of depression onset is 32.5 years old. 2. The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode is highest among individuals between 18 and 25. 3. 11.3% of ad…
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Prevalence

  • While anxiety disordersare the most common mental illness in the U.S., depression isn’t far behind. The most recent depression statistics include: 1. As of 2017, 300 million people around the world have depression, according to the World Health Organization. 2. According to datafrom the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 17.3 million adults in the United States—equal…
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Treatment Effectiveness

  • Depression is very treatable. But, only about half of all Americans who are diagnosed with depression in a given year get treatment. Those who do seek treatment wait months or years to get help. Many individuals with depression who seek treatment are under-treated. Studies consistently show a combination of talk therapy and medication can be most e...
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Resources

  • If you have symptoms of depression, there are resources available that can help: 1. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)offers a number of programs that can help, including their NAMI Family-to-Family class and NAMI connection, a support group for people with mental health conditions. 2. If you are experiencing depression and need someone to talk to, there are hotline…
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A Word from Verywell

  • If you suspect you have depression, talk to your healthcare provider. A physician can assess your symptoms and can provide you with a referral to a specialist if necessary. You can also contact a mental health professional directly to discuss treatment options. If you suspect someone you know has depression, address your concerns. They may be willing to seek treatment if you brin…
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Key Findings

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Data from the National Health Interview Survey 1. In 2019, 19.2% of adults had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional. 2. Women were more lik…
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Women Were More Likely Than Men to Have Received Any Mental Health Treatment.

  1. Nearly one in four women received any mental health treatment (24.7%) in the past 12 months, compared with 13.4% of men (Figure 2).
  2. Women were more likely than men to have taken medication for their mental health (20.6% and 10.7%, respectively) and to have received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional (11.7%...
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Summary

  • In 2019, 19.2% of U.S. adults received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 15.8% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 9.5% who had received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional. While the percentage of adults who had taken medication for their mental health increased with age, the percentage who had re…
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Definitions

  • Any mental health treatment: A composite measure of adults who reported having taken medication for their mental health, received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional, or both in the past 12 months. Race and Hispanic origin: Adults categorized as Hispanic may be of any race or combination of races. Adults categorized as non-Hispanic white …
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Data Source and Methods

  • Data from the 2019 NHIS were used for this analysis. NHIS is a nationally representative household survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. It is conducted continuously throughout the year by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Interviews are conducted in respondents’ homes, but follow-ups to complete interviews may be conducted over the teleph…
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About The Authors

  • Emily P. Terlizzi and Benjamin Zablotsky are with the National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics.
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References

  1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Healthexternal...
  2. American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
  1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Healthexternal...
  2. American Psychiatric Association. DSM–IV: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC. 1994.
  3. Eaton NR, Keyes KM, Krueger RF, Balsis S, Skodol AE, Markon KE, et al. An invariant dimensional liability model of gender differences in mental disorder prevalence: Evidence from a national sample....
  4. MacKenzie CS, Gekoski WL, Knox VJ. Age, gender, and the underutilization of mental health services: The influence of help-seeking attitudes. Aging Ment Health 10(6):574–82. 2006.

Suggested Citation

  • Terlizzi EP, Zablotsky B. Mental health treatment among adults: United States, 2019. NCHS Data Brief, no 380. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2020.
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