MentalHelp.net pulled survey data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to explore which demographics are most at risk for depression.
The CDCP’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey results show that Hawai‘i is home to some of the happiest people in the U.S.
Just one in 10 Hawai‘i residents is diagnosed with depression—the lowest rate in the nation.
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Hawai‘i has made great efforts to become a “healthy” state. Current state programs promote healthy living through spending time outdoors, refraining from smoking and eating better.
While these efforts do not directly address mental health disorders, studies have shown that improving wellness issues such as obesity can positively affect mental health as well.
Next in the happiness line are California, New Jersey, Texas and Nevada.
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The states reporting the more cases of depression are Oregon, Kentucky, Maine, West Virginia and Oklahoma.
Regarding racial factors, those who identified themselves as “multiracial” (two or more races) had the highest rates of depression diagnosis at 25.2%.
Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are near the bottom of that list at 14.01%.
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Asian-Americans are at the very bottom of the list, with a 6.9% rating for reported depression.
American Indians or Native Alaskans have a 21.43% rating; whites are at 19% and black or African-Americans are at 15.14%. “Other races” were reported at the 13.71 percentile.
The report also revealed that those least likely to suffer from mental illness were married.
Nationwide, less than 5% of Americans feel dissatisfied with their lives.
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