May 11, 2009 |
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An estimated 2.0 million adolescents (8.2 percent) experienced at least one MDE in the past year (Table 1). Females were more likely than males to have experienced past year MDE (11.9 vs. 4.6 percent). Rates were similar across the four geographic regions and did not vary by health insurance coverage. However, the prevalence of MDE was related to the perception of overall health; 15.0 percent of those adolescents who reported that their overall health was fair or poor experienced MDE compared with 5.4 percent of those who reported that their overall health was excellent.
Characteristic | Adolescents with Past Year MDE (%) | Received Treatment for Depression in the Past Year among Adolescents with Past Year MDE (%) |
---|---|---|
Total | 8.2% | 38.9% |
Gender | - | - |
Male | 4.6% | 36.7% |
Female | 11.9% | 39.9% |
Geographic Region | - | - |
Northeast | 7.9% | 46.2% |
Midwest | 8.5% | 37.9% |
South | 8.0% | 37.4% |
West | 8.3% | 37.0% |
Health Insurance | - | - |
Private | 8.1% | 40.6% |
Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program | 8.2% | 42.9% |
Other | 9.5% | ** |
No Coverage | 7.5% | 17.2% |
Overall Health | - | - |
Excellent | 5.4% | 31.7% |
Very Good | 8.2% | 38.3% |
Good | 11.3% | 42.1% |
Fair/Poor | 15.0% | 50.9% |
* Respondents with unknown past year MDE data and treatment data were excluded. |
** Data are suppressed because of low precision |
Source: 2007 SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). |
About two fifths (38.9 percent) of adolescents who experienced past year MDE received treatment for depression in the past year (Table 1); this is equivalent to an estimated 781,000 adolescents. Females with past year MDE were more likely than their male counterparts to have received treatment (39.9 vs. 36.7 percent). Adolescents with MDE who lived in the Northeast were more likely to have received treatment than their counterparts in other geographic regions.
Among adolescents with past year MDE, those with no health insurance were much less likely than those with Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage or private health insurance to have received treatment (17.2 vs. 42.9 and 40.6 percent, respectively).1 About half (50.9 percent) of the adolescents with past year MDE who reported that their overall health was fair or poor received treatment for depression compared with 31.7 percent of their counterparts who indicated that their health was excellent.
Among those who received treatment for depression in the past year, 53.2 percent saw or talked to a medical doctor or other professional about depression, but did not take prescription medication for depression (Figure 1). In addition, 40.4 percent saw or talked to a medical doctor or other professional about depression and used prescription medication for depression. The remainder (6.4 percent) took prescription medication for depression, but did not see or talk to a medical doctor or other professional about depression.2
Type of Treatment | Percent |
---|---|
Saw or Talked to a Medical Doctor or Other Professional Only | 53.2% |
Saw or Talked to a Medical Doctor or Other Professional and Used Prescription Medication | 40.4% |
Used Prescription Medication Only | 6.4% |
* Respondents with unknown past year MDE data and treatment data were excluded. |
Source: 2007 SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). |
Among those adolescents who saw or talked to a medical doctor or other professional about depression, nearly three fifths (58.8 percent) saw or talked to a counselor (Figure 2). Over one third (36.8 percent) saw or talked to a psychologist, 27.3 percent saw or talked to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, and 26.6 percent saw or talked to a general practitioner or family doctor.
Type of Professional | Percent |
---|---|
General Practitioner or Family Doctor | 26.6% |
Other Medical Doctor | 3.8% |
Psychologist | 36.8% |
Psychiatrist or Psychotherapist | 27.3% |
Social Worker | 12.8% |
Counselor | 58.8% |
Other Mental Health Professional | 9.4% |
Nurse, Occupational Therapist, or Other Health Professional | 11.3% |
Religious or Spiritual Advisor | 14.8% |
Herbalist, Chiropractor, Acupuncturist, or Massage Therapist | 1.3% |
Other | 1.0% |
* Respondents with unknown past year MDE data and treatment data were excluded. |
** Respondents could have indicated seeing or talking to multiple professionals; thus, response categories are not mutually exclusive and do not add to 100 percent. Respondents with unknown or invalid responses were excluded. |
Source: 2007 SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). |
About 1 in 12 American adolescents experienced MDE in the past year. About two fifths of those with MDE received treatment for their depression in the past year, and rates of treatment were particularly low among adolescents who did not have health insurance coverage—with only about 17 percent of these adolescents receiving treatment. These findings highlight the need for increased efforts to raise parental, caregiver, and teacher awareness of the signs of adolescent depression and the availability of treatment options, as well as the need for improving access to treatment among adolescents without health insurance.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 2007 data used in this report are based on information obtained from 22,433 adolescents. The survey collects data by administering questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through face-to-face interviews at their place of residence. The NSDUH Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, and by RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. (RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.) Information on the most recent NSDUH is available in the following publication: Office of Applied Studies. (2008). Results from the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 08-4343, NSDUH Series H-34). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Also available online: http://oas.samhsa.gov. |
The NSDUH Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available online: http://oas.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated. For questions about this report, please e-mail: shortreports@samhsa.hhs.gov.
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SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.
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