TOPLINE:
Results of a large study of more than 3 million people show that approximately one third of young adults aged 18-39 experienced anxiety and depression with much lower rates of these disorders in those over age 40. The researchers speculate that economic uncertainty may account for the age disparity in anxiety and depression rates.
METHODOLOGY:
- As part of the US Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, investigators collected data from 3 million adults (52% female; 64% White) between the ages of 18 and 59 between April 2020 and August 2022.
- Respondents completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-2) for anxiety and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) for depression.
- Economic precarity was determined through questions about recent employment, household income, and income loss, among other questions.
TAKEAWAY:
- Among respondents aged 18-29, 40% had clinically significant anxiety and 36%, clinically significant depression.
- While anxiety and depression in middle adulthood individuals began to decline in early 2021, rates remained high for younger adults.
- Scores were higher for anxiety and depression among those in young adulthood compared with middle adulthood (mean [SD] anxiety score, 2.44 vs 2.00 and mean [SD] depression score, 2.05 vs 1.62, respectively; P < .001).
- More than half of the respondents with high anxiety scores also had high depression scores: 60% of those with any anxiety had both anxiety and depression, and more than 83% of those with high depression scores also had high anxiety scores.
IN PRACTICE:
Investigators noted that there could have been a combination of factors that drove the increased anxiety and depression among young adults, writing "many US adults describe a profound sense of loss and grief regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside worries about household finances and the economy and feelings of unease about the geopolitical events in Ukraine. These sentiments suggest this period is marked by a sense of upheaval that has left a lasting impact on young adult well-being."
SOURCE:
Sarah Collier Villaume, PhD, of Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois, led the study, which was published online November 30 in JAMA Network Open.
LIMITATIONS:
As the study was cross-sectional, investigators could not follow the same set of individuals over time, thus preventing conclusions about causal relationships.
DISCLOSURES:
No study funding was reported and the authors reported no relevant financial relationships.