Adolescent Depression

Depression has a significant impact on adolescent development and well-being.122 Adolescent depression can adversely affect school and work performance, impair peer and family relationships, and exacerbate the severity of other health conditions such as asthma and obesity.123, 124, 125 Depressive episodes often persist, recur, or continue into adulthood.126 Youth who have had a major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year are at greater risk for suicide and are more likely than other youth to initiate alcohol and other drug use, experience concurrent substance use disorders, and smoke daily.127, 128, 129

Indicator HEALTH4.A: Percentage of youth ages 12–17 who experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year by age and gender, 2021
Indicator HEALTH4.A: Percentage of youth ages 12–17 who experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year by age and gender, 2021

NOTE: An MDE is defined as a period of at least 2 weeks when a person experienced a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities plus at least four additional symptoms of depression (such as problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, and feelings of self-worth) as described in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

SOURCE: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Survey on Drug Use and Health..

Indicator HEALTH4.B: Percentage of those receiving treatment for depression among youth ages 12–17 with at least one MDE in the past year by gender, 2004–2021
Indicator HEALTH4.B: Percentage of those receiving treatment for depression among youth ages 12–17 with at least one MDE in the past year by gender, 2004–2021

NOTE: Treatment is defined as seeing or talking to a medical doctor or other professional and/or using prescription medication in the past year for depression. Respondents with unknown treatment data were excluded. There is a break between 2019 and 2020 to indicate caution should be used when comparing estimates between 2020 and prior years because of methodological changes for 2020.

SOURCE: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

  • In 2021, 20% of the population ages 12–17 had at least one MDE during the past year.
  • Among youth ages 12–17, the prevalence of MDE was more than twice as high among females (29%) as among males (12%).
  • The prevalence of MDE in 2021 was lowest among youth ages 12–13 (13%) compared with youth ages 14–15 (21%) and ages 16–17 (27%).
  • In 2021, the prevalence of MDE with severe impairment was 15%. Nearly three times as many females (22%) experienced MDE with severe impairment compared with males (8%).
  • Nearly 60% of youth with MDE in the past year did not receive treatment for depression in 2021.










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122 Mojtabai, R., Olfson, M., & Han, B. (2016). National trends in the prevalence and treatment of depression in adolescents and young adults. Pediatrics, 138(6), Article e20161878.

123 Office of Applied Studies. (2008). The NSDUH report: Major depressive episode among youths aged 12 to 17 in the United States: 2004 to 2006. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/dashboard/searchResults/titleDetail/PB2009115665.xhtml.

124 Van Lieshout, R. J., & MacQueen, G. (2008). Psychological factors in asthma. Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology, 4(1), 12–28.

125 Goodman, E., & Whitaker, R. C. (2007). A prospective study of the role of depression in the development and persistence of adolescent obesity. Pediatrics, 110(3), 497–504.

126 Weissman, M. M., Wolk, S., Goldstein, R. B., Moreau, D., Adams, P., Greenwald, S., & Wickramaratne, P. (1999). Depressed adolescents grown up. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282, 1701–1713.

127 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP20-07-01-001, NSDUH Series H-55). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/SAMHSA_Digital_Download/PEP20-07-01-001-PDF.pdf

128 Shaffer, D., Gould, M. S., Fisher, P., Trautman, P., Moreau, D., Kleinman, M., & Flory, M. (1996). Psychiatric diagnosis in child and adolescent suicide. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53, 339–348. http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/53/4/339

129 Office of Applied Studies. (2007). The NSDUH report: Depression and the initiation of alcohol and other drug use among youths aged 12 to 17. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

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