Major depression diagnoses skyrocketing among teens, millennials

Major depression diagnoses rose significantly from 2013 through 2016 across all gender and age groups, and especially among adolescents and millennials aged younger than 35 years, data published in Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s Health of America Report showed.

The report, which used medical claims data from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Index, demonstrated that major depression diagnosis rates rose by 33% since 2013, growing fastest among teenagers — up 47% among boys and 65% among girls — and millennials — up 47%.

“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," Karyn Horowitz, MD, a psychiatrist affiliated with Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island, said in a press release. "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."

Major depression affects roughly 9 million commercially insured Americans, according to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Index. After hypertension, major depression is the second most impactful condition on overall health of commercially insured Americans, the report showed. The report also highlighted that women were more than twice as likely to receive major depression diagnoses than men (6% vs. 2.8%).

According to the report, most people with major depression (85%) also have one or more additional serious chronic health conditions. On average, as measured by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Index, the difference in overall health translates to a 9.5-year drop for women and 9.7-year drop for men in future healthy life expectancy.

In addition, people diagnosed with major depression used health care services more than other commercially insured Americans, which resulted in higher overall health care spending in 2016 than in 2013 — $10,673 vs. $4,283 — according to the report.

Diagnosis of major depression also varied widely by geographic location. The report showed that New England, the Pacific Northwest and various areas throughout the South and Midwest saw higher rates of major depression. However, excluding Hawaii, all other states experienced rising rates of major depression from 2013 to 2016.

"The high rates for adolescents and millennials could have a substantial health impact for decades to come,” Trent Haywood, MD, JD, senior vice president and chief medical officer at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, said in the release. “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.” – by Savannah Demko

References:

Blue Cross Blue Shield. The Health of America. Major Depression: The Impact on Overall Health. https://www.bcbs.com/the-health-of-america/reports/major-depression-the-impact-overall-health. Accessed on May 16, 2018.

Disclosures: Haywood is senior vice president and CMO for Blue Cross Blue Shield. Healio Psychiatry was unable to confirm any relevant financial disclosures for Horowitz at the time of publication.