1 in 10 US adults are taking medication for depression

US depression rates at historic high among adults

More than 18% of US adults reported that they currently have or are being treated for depression in both 2024 and 2025. In the 2025 survey, more than 11,000 adults were surveyed. The numbers have ticked upward since 2015—by about 8 percentage points—with most of the increase occurring from the 2020 pandemic onward.

Women are four times as likely to be diagnosed with seasonal depression

This prevalence trend mirrors the broader incidence of depression among women and is well-documented. Researchers suggest the disparity stems from differences in hormones, social role expectations, coping mechanisms, and more. Men may also present with depression differently, and seek help less.

1 in 5 American adults report daily loneliness

Twenty percent of US adults said they felt lonely "a lot of the day yesterday" in Gallup polling conducted in 2024. The survey was conducted with more than 6,000 adults who took part in a web survey.

Antidepressants alone may fail to help an estimated one-third to one-half of depressed patients

There are three major categories of antidepressants—tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidate inhibitors, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. This podcast notes these first-line depression drugs are not effective for many patients and may also come with concerning side effects. Other therapeutic approaches—either in combination with medication or as an alternative—include therapy, meditation, and consistent exercise.

Over 28% of US adults use yoga for pain management

According to a 2022 study, 28.8% of adults used yoga as a way to manage pain. That's a significant uptick from 2002, when only 11.2% did. The most used approach was chiropractic, which 85.7% used.

More than a third of America's incarcerated population has a mental illness

Fueled in part by America's deinstitutionalization movement and gaps in mental health support, an estimated 44% of those in jail and 37% of those in prison have a mental illness, according to figures from 2012, the latest available. Population-wide, only 18% of the general population is estimated to have a mental illness.

12% of adults were taking injectable GLP-1 for weight loss according to 2025 survey

Weight loss injectable use rose sharply between 2024 and fall 2025. The percentage of adults who reported taking this class of medicine specifically for weight loss increased to 12.4%, compared with 5.8% in February 2024 when Gallup first measured it.

Alcohol use disorder is the most common addiction in the US

This comprehensive overview from the Addiction Center uses recent data from SAMHSA’s National Survey to examine the 10 most common substance dependencies in the United States. It ranks addictions from alcohol (affecting 28.3 million Americans) to barbiturates, while highlighting key trends, risks, and societal impacts.

Bipolar disorder, which is characterized by extreme mood swings, affects nearly 3% of the US population

There are two types of this disorder. Bipolar 1 features a significant manic episode—abnormally elevated mood and frantic energy—followed by repeated depression, while Bipolar 2 vacillates between depressive episodes and hypomania, a milder form of mania, but not a full mania. Listen to this podcast as experts explain the condition.

Testosterone prescriptions remain very low overall

Though demand for an injectable formulation of testosterone roughly doubled between 2019 and 2025, testosterone prescriptions still remain very uncommon—adding up to less than 2 per 100,000 prescriptions in 2025.

JJ Schildkraut theorized depression is linked to brain chemical imbalances—in 1965

Schildkraut was one of the first to put forward this idea, which stemmed from lab animal research. A decade later, researchers published the first landmark paper on fluoxetine—better known by trade name Prozac—which increases serotonin levels in the brain.

Having five of nine key symptoms constitutes a major depression

Before professional standards were adopted, practitioners used varying criteria to diagnose mental health disorders. By the 1970s, more objective lists were organized, culminating in this list of polythetic criteria—a list of symptoms where no single criterion is required, but a minimum number must be present.

How many Americans receive government assistance?

In 2022, nearly half of all American children—and roughly one in three Americans overall—were enrolled in at least one government assistance program. Those programs provide support for people who cannot afford healthcare, food, housing, or other needs. Find out more about the number of Americans receiving government assistance here.

View the religious breakdown of the United States

This resource presents religious data by state and region, and nationwide. The primary religious group in the US is Christians, making up 62% of the adult population. Twenty-nine percent of US adults identify as religiously unaffiliated.

More than 5 million Americans have more than one autoimmune disease

Overall, about 4.6% of the US population—15 million people—have an autoimmune condition. Some common examples include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, Grave's disease, and autoimmune thyroiditis.

The US had about 155.4 million emergency room visits in 2022

Of those emergency incidents, the largest share of patients were between the ages of 25 and 44 and were in the southern part of the US. More than 43 million of the visits involved injuries, including poisonings.

Millions of aging Americans are facing dementia or cognitive impairment—alone

An estimated 4.3 million people aged 55 or older who have cognitive impairment or dementia live alone in the US. The individuals facing these challenges are more likely to be women, people of color, and to generally be poorer and less educated than other older adults who are also living alone.

Nearly 70% of the US government’s debt is domestic

This includes intragovernmental holdings like the Social Security Trust Fund and investments from US citizens, banks, and mutual funds. About 30% is foreign-held, with countries like Japan and China as major creditors, investing in US Treasury securities due to their perceived safety.

Look up where your generic prescription drugs are made

This project from investigative journalism outlet ProPublica compiled source data for most generic prescription drugs in the US. Roughly 90% of drugs on the market are generic, and in rare cases investigators have noted issues with compliance or safety at some plants. Using your drug's name and the company on the label, find out any issues with your drugs here.

About 12.5% of US adults experience a phobia in their lifetime, a diagnosis that hinges on the intense fear interfering with daily life and persisting for at least six months.

About 10%-15% of people experience chronic insomnia

How often would you say you struggle to stay or fall asleep? If it's more than three times per week (and has been going on for at least one month), then you might have one of the most common sleep disorders: insomnia.

30% of Americans make New Year's resolutions

The practice is more popular among younger people: In a Pew Research Center study, nearly half of people under 30 reported making at least one resolution. The majority of Americans (of all ages) who didn’t make resolutions said they simply don’t like the tradition.

'Why'd I take speed for twenty years?': an exploration of stimulant ADHD medication

Many people with ADHD are prescribed stimulant medication to assist with symptoms ranging from time blindness to executive dysfunction. This hour-long podcast episode by Search Engine explores the host's experience with ADHD medication and the history of amphetamine and methylphenidate use in the US.

Roughly 45% of clinicians in 2023 reported at least one symptom of burnout

With that kind of statistic as a backdrop, proponents of concierge medicine practices argue that concierge services could help keep doctors in medicine and thus help to address physician shortages.

Up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is considered safe

Small, frequent doses can be more effective than large amounts, though caffeine can raise blood pressure and heart rate, especially in people with hypertension. While low doses of caffeine may help with depression by stimulating dopamine, excessive caffeine, particularly from energy drinks, can lead to anxiety and heart issues.

Overmedication has put type 2 diabetics at risk of low blood sugar

Type 2 diabetics in the US risk dying from low blood sugar, an epidemic traced to a decades-old, multi-million-dollar drug industry campaign encouraging an average blood sugar level below 7%. Contemporary research correlated such levels with reduced risk of eye, nerve, and kidney damage and increased hypoglycemia risk.

Roughly 43 million US borrowers owe roughly $1.7T in student debt, the second-largest source of consumer debt behind mortgages.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

11 people died from firework injuries in the US in 2024.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

Use this calculator to find the dollar value of your mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care for your children.

The USPS spent $3.97B in 2024, accounting for .058% of the federal budget.

20,000 letters to the advice columnist 'Dear Abby' provide insight into prevailing sex, religion, and LGBTQ fears, anxieties, and concerns from the 1950s onward.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

The American Society of Civil Engineers' infrastructure report card gave the US a C in 2025, its highest grade since the project launched in 1998.

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

The Nasdaq's 'Magnificent 7' companies are responsible for roughly 40% of the Nasdaq 100 index's gains, while the remaining 93 companies account for the other 60%.

Brandi Chastain, the star of the 1999 US victory over China in the 1999 Women's World Cup, was a last-second choice to take the penalty kick that sealed the victory.

An Ebola vaccine was developed during the 2018 west African Ebola outbreak, but the 2026 Ebola outbreak is with a different species of the virus, not the one that the vaccine is approved to treat.

During the French Revolution, a botanist's letter asking about "dear Rhus" (poison ivy) was intercepted, leading authorities to suspect he was conspiring with the Russians.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

The distributor behind 'Rocky Horror' pulled the film from its scheduled national release, believing it would be a failure, though it eventually amassed a dedicated fanbase through midnight showings, a trend that continues over 50 years later.