TOPLINE: 

The prevalence of anxiety or depression increased significantly between 2019 and 2023, especially for men, Black individuals, and people born outside the US, a new cross-sectional study showed. However, the greatest increase in prevalence was in Black women without disabilities born outside the US.

METHODOLOGY:

• The cross-sectional study included 2019-2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data for more than 150,000 adults (51% women; 81% born in the US; 61% White, 18% Hispanic or Latino, and 12% Black individuals).
• Eight percent of participants had a general disability, 5% had mobility disability, 2.5% had cognitive disability, and 1% each had vision disability, hearing disability, communication disability, or self-care disability.
• Self-reported symptoms of anxiety or depression were assessed using two survey questions from the Washington Group on Disability Statistics Extended Set on Functioning.

TAKEAWAY:

• The prevalence of anxiety or depression increased significantly during the study for participants without disabilities (average annual percentage change [AAPC], 3.9; P < .01). Prevalence increased across all racial groups, with the largest increase reported in participants without disabilities who identified as belonging to another race or ethnicity or in Black individuals (AAPCs, 6.95 and 4.8, respectively; P < .05 for both).
• Both men with and without disabilities (AAPCs, 3.25 and 4.6, respectively) had significant increases in anxiety or depression prevalence (P < .05 for both), whereas only women without disabilities showed an increase (AAPC, 3.5; P < .01).
• Participants born outside the US without disabilities had a higher prevalence of anxiety or depression (AAPC, 5.6) compared to those with disabilities (AAPC, 3.5) or US-born participants without disabilities (AAPC, 3.75).
• Black individuals without disabilities and born outside the US had greatest increase in prevalence (women: AAPC, 14.9; men: AAPC, 8.3).

IN PRACTICE:

“These findings suggest the need for tailored mental health interventions that consider disability status and demographic intersections,” the investigators wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by David Adzrago, PhD, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), Bethesda, Maryland. It was published online on February 2 in JAMA Network Open.

LIMITATIONS: 

All measures were self-reported and susceptible to recall and social desirability biases. The NHIS included only the civilian noninstitutionalized US population, excluding individuals living in long-term care or residential facilities. Additionally, as the NHIS was administered only in English, the findings were not generalizable to the entire US adult population.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was funded by the NIMHD. One investigator reported receiving grants from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The other four researchers reported no relevant financial relationships. 

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.