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U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs

news.gallup.com

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Re: U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs

#101

Post by Silverback_VII »

mc32 wrote: post #77
Silverback_VII wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect it has less to do with specific parameters of modern society and more with the general experience of living in it. It's a rat race that, for many, lacks any meaning. another point to consider is the psychological difference between being a big fish in a small pond as opposed to being a small fish in a very large one. With the Internet, we now have the means to compare ourselves with everyone else, and our m…

I think it's complex and hard to breakdown. Modern life may have something to do with it, but it certainly isn't more difficult to live today than it was during the great economic depression. Additionally, the internet should tell us that If you live in the US you are way better off than people in places like Ukraine, Mexico, Argentina, Uganda, etc. Now, if they are comparing themselves to the Kardashians or erroneou…

I think how easy life is has little to do with psychological wellbeing. If life is very hard but you are doing great relative to others you will feel good. Furthermore, a more demanding life often generates a deeper sense of purpose and meaning.

Re: U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs

#103

Post by olalonde »

MattGaiser wrote: post #29
petercooper wrote: post #11

The rates of people diagnosed with depression. Things that were once taboos, had stigma attached to them, or were poorly defined may once have been more often kept under wraps. See ADHD or ASD diagnosis rates, for example.

History of left handedness: https://slowrevealgraphs.com/2021/11/08/rate-of-left-handedn... Nothing caused the population of left handed people to soar. We just stopped hitting them in schools for using their left hands.

Not a big fan of this comparison. Just because it was true of left-handedness doesn't mean it's true for other things. It also shows that hitting left-handed kids in schools was actually working, whereas it's not possible to "cure" depression or sexual orientation this way.

Re: U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs

#106

Post by taylodl »

We would expect depression rates to reach new highs in late state capitalism, would we not? I thought we all understood things were going to get worse before they get better? This is similar to getting concerned why so many men having stage IV, terminal cancer are losing their hair. We know why. We also know Rogaine isn't going to help.

To me this is related to the other article on HN earlier today about the dramatic decrease in birthrates since 2007. They're all symptoms of a society in decline.

Re: U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs

#107

Post by onlyrealcuzzo »

alexfromapex wrote: post #78
onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah, yes, the corporations are not in their place... The world was basically a dystopian hell for the non-elite class and only getting worse from the advent of agriculture until somewhat recently (see the Malthusian Trap)... But today is the worst because you can look back to sometime post-WW2 in the US (and only the US), where - for a few years - things maybe might have been slightly better if and only if you were a…

You are conflating technology improving lives, which it usually does as time advances, with society improving. Society has arguably gotten worse, as things have just become more passively aggressive than outright aggressive as they were in the past.

So you're saying it's worse that it's socially acceptable now for people to talk behind your back instead of enslave you?

Re: U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs

#108

Post by mc32 »

Silverback_VII wrote: post #101
mc32 wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's complex and hard to breakdown. Modern life may have something to do with it, but it certainly isn't more difficult to live today than it was during the great economic depression. Additionally, the internet should tell us that If you live in the US you are way better off than people in places like Ukraine, Mexico, Argentina, Uganda, etc. Now, if they are comparing themselves to the Kardashians or erroneou…

I think how easy life is has little to do with psychological wellbeing. If life is very hard but you are doing great relative to others you will feel good. Furthermore, a more demanding life often generates a deeper sense of purpose and meaning.

It has to be something else. Lots of people around the world live in dire conditions, in sub-modern conditions, picking garbage dumps bathing in ditch water. And they and their friends are equally poor and living under cramped tin roof dwellings. They're not doing "great" from an economic standpoint, but may be doing well from a social standpoint and mental health standpoint. They may not be individually tougher, but as a social group, they seem tougher.

Re: U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs

#109

Post by laratied »

George83728 wrote: post #97
kayodelycaon wrote: post #33

[flagged]

Same-sex marriage wasn't nationally legal until 2015. How can you say that social conditions for LBGT people in America are worse in the present than in the past? Maybe if you're only looking in the past few years, but zoom out to view a few decades and it doesn't make sense. What qualifies as extreme anti-LGBT rhetoric today was very mainstream 20 years ago.

It is just a symptom of youth and social media addiction.

I forget what the stat was in 1999 but it is something absurd. Like 90% of the US was against gay marriage. In 2022, 71% were pro gay marriage.

I am gay and when someone says bullshit like this is just drives me crazy. As if a gay person in high school today can possibly relate to my experience of being gay in high school in the 90s. It is such an ignorant statement and view.

Re: U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs

#110

Post by throwaway202351 »

George83728 wrote: post #97
kayodelycaon wrote: post #33

[flagged]

Same-sex marriage wasn't nationally legal until 2015. How can you say that social conditions for LBGT people in America are worse in the present than in the past? Maybe if you're only looking in the past few years, but zoom out to view a few decades and it doesn't make sense. What qualifies as extreme anti-LGBT rhetoric today was very mainstream 20 years ago.

If someone was born post-AIDS (so roughly age 40 and below), they'd have gotten to see things slowly improve until 2016, when they started sliding back.
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