Oregon holds the dubious distinction of the highest rate of depression in America, according to a list compiled by insurance comparison site QuoteWizard.
The website looked at data from the CDC covering the years of 2014 through 2018, which they used to create an average rate of depression for every state. They also gleaned the percentage increase or decrease in the rate of depression each state had experienced over the course of five years. These numbers were then compared to rankings from Mental Health America on access to mental health care.
The number one spot is held by Oregon with a whopping 25.2 percent rate of depression, which has increased by 9.17 percent since 2014. In access to mental health care, the state was ranked 23rd.
The second and third highest rates can be found in West Virginia with 24.62 percent and Maine with 23.52 percent. Meanwhile, the largest increases in the rate of depression occurred in Alaska, Louisiana and Tennessee, with 29.49 percent, 24.06 percent and 17.76 percent, respectively. Hawaii, New Jersey, and California are sitting pretty at the bottom of the list with the low rates of 11.76 percent, 12.98 percent and 14.48 percent.
QuoteWizard did observe a correlation between access to mental health care and change in rate of depression. Massachusetts, ranked second in access to care, saw a decrease of 16.59 percent. In contrast, Texas rated dead last in access and experienced an increase of 13.01 percent.
By Brandon Urey
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