HEALTH4.A Adolescent depression: Percentage of youth ages 12–17 who had at least one Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in the past year by age, gender, race and Hispanic origin, and poverty status, 2021

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Characteristic 2021
Total 20.1
Age
Ages 12–13 13.0
Ages 14–15 20.7
Ages 16–17 26.8
Gender
Male 11.5
Female 29.2
Race and Hispanic origina
White, non-Hispanic 20.7
Black, non-Hispanic 14.0
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian 13.8
Two or more races 27.2
Hispanic 22.2
Poverty statusb
Below 100% poverty 18.2
100%–199% poverty 20.8
200% poverty and above 20.5
‡ Low precision.
a The 1997 U.S. Office of Management and Budget standards were used to collect race and ethnicity data. Persons could select one or more of five racial groups: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or Asian. Respondents could choose more than one race. Those reporting more than one race were classified as "Two or more races." Data on Hispanic origin are collected separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Included in the total but not shown separately are persons of Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander origin.
b Estimates are based on a definition of poverty level that incorporates information on family income, size, and composition and is calculated as a percentage of the U.S. Census Bureau's poverty thresholds.
NOTE: MDE is defined as in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV),1 which specifies a period of at least 2 weeks when a person experienced a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities and had a majority of specified depression symptoms. Respondents with unknown past-year MDE were excluded. Caution should be used when comparing estimates between 2020 and prior years because of methodological changes for 2020. See the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Methodological Summary and Definitions for details.
SOURCE: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
1 American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.