The proportion of people who currently have or are currently being treated for depression is reaching new highs in the US, and this phenomenon is seen across gender, age, and ethnicity according to a Gallup poll. The largest increase is observed among 18 to 29-year-olds, with the depression rate among them increasing from 13% in 2017 to 25% in 2023. Additionally, women have reported substantially higher levels of depression than men. Other research by Gallup estimated that 22% of North American adults have experienced depression or anxiety so extreme that they could not continue regular daily activities for two weeks or longer, and some of those people could potentially benefit from mental health drug treatment. The market for drugs to treat major depressive disorders is projected to grow to USD 9 billion in the US after several years of decline as new drugs are commercialized.
Source: Gallup, Bernstein, May 2023.