One in three CT residents is anxious and/or depressed

The good news is that the rate of Connecticut residents reporting symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder is down some since the end of April, according to a new CDC survey. The bad news is that it’s three times higher than this time last year. The week of April 23^rd, when Connecticut was deep into the COVID pandemic, we were the third highest among states at 40.2%. But we are recovering, by the week of July 16, we were 46^th (35.1%). 

With a deadly pendemic, rising unemployment, and social isolation this is not surprising. Alcohol and substance abuse are up in Connecticut. But there is help.

While the numbers are coming down, they are much higher than last year. Only national comparisons are available for this survey in 2019, but historically Connecticut residents rank better than most Americans on mental health metrics. In 2017, the CT Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) found that Connecticut residents were significantly less likely than other Americans to suffer from depressive disorders.

The survey asked American adults screening questions used by providers to detect symptoms of anxiety or depression that have been shown to be associated with diagnoses of generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder. The survey started during the week of April 23^rd and ended the week of July 23^rd.