THURSDAY, Oct. 3, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Clinically diagnosed depression increased from 2017 to 2021 in children, adolescents, and young adults, with a higher increase during the pandemic, according to a study published online Oct. 1 in JAMA Network Open.

Anny H. Xiang, Ph.D., from Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena, and colleagues examined the incidence, prevalence, and changes in depression and anxiety diagnosed clinically among children, adolescents, and young adults from 2017 to 2021 in a cohort study involving about 1.7 million individuals aged 5 to 22 years in Southern California.

The researchers found that from 2017 to 2021, there was an increase in the incidence and prevalence of depression diagnosis (from 1.35 to 2.10 percent and from 2.55 to 4.08 percent, respectively); the incidence and prevalence of anxiety without depression diagnosis also increased (from 1.77 to 2.32 percent and from 3.13 to 4.22 percent, respectively). Except for depression incidence, the increases in rates were higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic (2020 to 2021 versus 2017 to 2019). Across all subgroups, rates increased and they were highest for those aged 14 to 17 and 18 to 22 years; females; non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic White, or multiple races or ethnicities; and subgroups with higher household income, obesity, or comorbidities. For depression diagnosis, age was the most important factor, while weight status was the most important factor for anxiety without depression diagnosis.

“Rates were higher for adolescents and young adults and in some subgroups, highlighting a need for increased mental health services for our young population,” the authors write.

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