West Virginia, North Dakota, we need to talk…
According to Google Trends, the highest number of web searches in the U.S. for the word “Depression” come in equal quantities from West Virginia and North Dakota, followed (in descending order) by:
- Indiana
- South Dakota
- Ohio
- Kentucky
- Montana
This is particularly alarming as one would expect the US states with the highest populations would have the most searches–simple due to sheer numbers. However, the top 6 most populated US states don’t even make the list for high depression searches. They are (in descending order):
- California
- Texas
- New York
- Florida
- Illinois
- Pennsylvania
The first state to make both lists is Ohio. It’s the United States’ 7th most populated state, and it ranks 5th for most “depression” searches, according to Google Trends.
However, according to the CDC, Southeast states reported the highest rates of depressed adults, with Mississippi at the top at 14.8 percent. North Dakota was among the least depressed states with instances of depression at 4.8 percent (followed by Minnesota, Alaska, Iowa and Colorado). Information of West Virginia was limited.
Percentage of adults meeting criteria for depression, by state (2006 and 2008).
Read the CDCs Full Report here.
Let’s keep in touch! Sign up to receive our newsletter:
Anthony Centore
