Recent comments in /f/dataisbeautiful

92835 t1_j8dciry wrote

Reply to [OC] Rates of anxiety and depression have spiked since the start of the pandemic by spicer2

It’s very hard to say anything about this data without more context. A 25% relative increase in anxiety and depression in less than three years certainly seems like a lot (even if the data is presented in a way that makes it seem otherwise), but without the context of how variable the statistic was in the years prior, it’s hard to say for sure.

17

92835 t1_j8dc8be wrote

Reply to comment by SkokieRob in [OC] Rates of anxiety and depression have spiked since the start of the pandemic by spicer2

Given the x-axis is very condensed I think this can reasonably be called a strike a relative 25% increase (ie. the number of people with anxiety or depression increasing by 25% of its original value) in two and a half years is quite considerable.

I agree it’s a bad way to present the data and hard to really tell the significance of the strike without data from the years before.

4

Gedankensortieren t1_j8da1kb wrote

Reply to comment by spicer2 in [OC] Rates of anxiety and depression have spiked since the start of the pandemic by spicer2

> so annoyingly we don't have a benchmark for pre-pandemic rates of mental health

If you don't have data supporting your story, just don't tell your story - especially not in the headline.

It is a serious topic, and I bet better data, covering a much longer timescale, exist. Your data does not even cover two years.

20

spicer2 OP t1_j8d8gr5 wrote

Reply to [OC] Rates of anxiety and depression have spiked since the start of the pandemic by spicer2

Tools used: Datylon

Source: GWI USA (Full disclosure, I work for GWI)

Methodology/other bits: GWI USA started in Q2 2020, so annoyingly we don't have a benchmark for pre-pandemic rates of mental health. But the trend is pretty clear - and has had another recent spike, likely off the back of inflation and cost-of-living worries.

Note this is self-reported data - this is based on respondents who declare whether or not they experience these conditions. In other words, the data in the chart is from the question "do you experience these currently", not "do you currently see a doctor about these".

−3