Money problems got you down? You’re not alone. The Great Recession of 2008 was linked to a significant increase in major depression in U.S. adults, researchers at Loyola University in Chicago have found. This was the first study to look at how the most recent recession affected the mental health of the broad U.S. population.
Prevalence of major depression among adults increased from 2.33% in 2005-2006 to 3.49% in 2009-2010. Less severe depression was also more common during and after the recession, increasing from 4.1% in 2005-2006 to 4.79% in 2009-2010. Rates of less severe depression declined to 3.68% in 2011-2012. Poor people and those who had not completed high school were more likely to be depressed than other groups.
“It is plausible that the recession, given its strong, persistent, and negative effects on employment, job and housing security, and stock investments, contributed to the sustained increase in prevalence of major depression in the U.S. population, but other factors associated with the recession time period could have played a role,” the study’s authors wrote.
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