Science and Health

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Cases of depression are increasing in the United States. If you don’t suffer from this condition, you certainly know someone who does.

About 18% of adults in the United States, or more than 1 in 6 people, reported that they currently suffer from depression or are receiving treatment for depression, according to research conducted by the polling company Gallup in 2023.

In 2015, when Gallup first began collecting information on this topic, the percentage was less than 11%.

Gallup data shows that clinical depression was slowly rising in the country before the emergence of the “Covid-18” pandemic, but it grew faster after that period, in the midst of social isolation, loneliness, fear of infection, psychological exhaustion, substance abuse, and disruption of care. Psychological health.

Rates among women, youth, and black and Latino adults are rising faster.

For teens, ages 12 to 17, the statistics are also dire. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5 million children in this age group, or just over 20%, had an episode of major depression in 2021 (the most recent year for which data is available).

For his part, psychiatrist Charles Rayson, a professor of human ecology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said, “There is no doubt that cases of depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse have been on the rise in the United States… perhaps for 20 or 25 years, and perhaps “For a longer period.”

Rayson pointed out that “the rise is not equal among all age groups, and the people who are really suffering are young people between the ages of 15 and 35, where the increase is truly alarming.”

While the high rates of depression among Americans are alarming, what is also concerning is the difficulty of determining the cause behind this condition, as the condition cannot be detected during a clinical examination, and its severity cannot be accurately measured.

Rayson emphasized that trying to engage in any activity when you are depressed is like an uphill battle.

Here are five tips Rayson offers for self-care during depression:

Commitment to getting help

Make an appointment with a mental health professional. “If you constantly feel down, lose interest in life, have a change in the quality of your sleep and appetite, feel hopeless, or have thoughts about harming yourself, these symptoms indicate depression,” Raison explained.

Getting help is especially important if you’ve had these symptoms for more than a month.

“Everyone who suffers from depression knows that having a doctor can help you, either with psychotherapy or medication,” he said.

Lifestyle interventions

Clearly, what’s good for the body is good for the brain, too. “Really try to do activities that you would do for your physical health,” Ryson said, adding, “I often recommend thinking about activities that help heart health and doing them for brain health.” Such as managing body weight, eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, getting enough exercise, and exposure to sunlight.”

Be surrounded by people

Try to maintain close relationships, and this can be a very difficult challenge when you are depressed. “Perhaps the most important thing is to try to strengthen our personal relationships with others,” Rayson explained, noting that “if you have supportive relationships with other people, this is “It is a great protective factor against depression. It is also a factor that can help you overcome depression.”

Don’t give up

Be persistent in asking for help.

Raison noted that the way people, especially in the United States, respond to antidepressant medications tends to be very mixed. There is a small group of people who, once they start taking antidepressants, feel better within two weeks and their depression goes away, while others suffer from chronic depression.

So, if one antidepressant you’re using doesn’t work, try another.

Rayson advises not to give up, as there are people who do not respond to a group of antidepressants, but they are not less likely to respond to psychotherapy.

Embrace contentment

“Develop gratitude,” Rayson said.

And Raison admits that it’s not always easy to do when you’re depressed. “If you can make gratitude a habit, it can become a weapon to prevent depression, but also to make you feel better if you are depressed,” he said.