Study: Adult anxiety, depression symptoms rise, fall with COVID-19 cases

The frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms among U.S. adults increased after August 2020 and peaked during December 2020 and January 2021, mirroring the national weekly number of new COVID-19 cases, according to a study released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Average anxiety severity scores reported by adults to the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey increased 13% from August to December 2020, then decreased 27% from December 2020 to June 2021, with similar increases and decreases in depression severity scores over the period, the study found. The authors said the findings, which precede the surge in COVID-19 cases from the delta variant, suggest that mental health services and resources “are critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19.”