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A closer look at Mecklenburg County's growing depression problem

A staggering one in six adults — 138,000 people — has been diagnosed with depression in Mecklenburg County. What are local health leaders doing to get help to those in need?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Defenders are investigating an alarming trend that includes major findings about depression in Mecklenburg County.

A staggering one in six adults — 138,000 people — is now diagnosed with depression in the county, according to a new report from the Mecklenburg County Health Department. Now, new recommendations from the Cleveland Clinic call for universal screenings for all teenagers showing symptoms.

Health officials said they did phone surveys with 1,500 people, which is a statistically significant number for the study.

NBC Charlotte talked to a local doctor who says our society is losing a sense of community because many of us are consumed by our phones.

“Even though we have all these social apps, we still feel very isolated,” said Dr. Chris McCarthy, a licensed professional counselor for the Carolinas Counseling Group.

Unfortunately, Dr. McCarthy says the numbers are even worse than they look on the surface because the cases of depression are getting more severe.

“We’re seeing not only increasing numbers of people coming in, but the severity of their stress or their depression is greater,” Dr. McCarthy said.

He says that’s contributing to higher suicide rates among people 25 or younger. In fact, the health department also studied local high school students and found one in three is struggling with sadness.

“They are so sad over a two-week period of time they are not able to do things they would normally be able to do,” said Gibbie Harris, Health Director for Mecklenburg County Public Health.

That finding mirrors a national study that found almost a 50-percent spike in major depression among young adults. Harris elaborated on some steps the health department can take to help with the issue of depression.

“Part of it is just education, that’s critical,” Harris said. “The next step is also publicizing for the community where services are available.”

Right now, Dr. McCarthy says people in need aren’t getting help soon enough and that’s contributing to the severity of the depression.

“It’s a big problem in terms of how we are doing life,” Dr. McCarthy said. “We need to make some cultural changes to make life more meaningful, more connected and more happy.”

The study only includes people diagnosed with depression, so Dr. McCarthy believes the number of people with depression is likely even higher.

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