Major Depressive Episodes Declined Among Youth & Adults From 2021 To 2025

The percentage of adolescents and adults experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE) declined between 2021 and 2025, according to new federal survey findings. In 2025, approximately 3.7 million adolescents ages 12 to 17 (15.1%) and 19.7 million adults ages 18 and older (7.4%) experienced an MDE. Despite the decline, about seven in ten people who experienced an MDE reported severe difficulty functioning in their daily lives.

Among adolescents, the prevalence of MDE declined from 20.8% in 2021 to 15.1% in 2025. The percentage experiencing an MDE with severe impairment also declined, from 15.2 . . .