In Brief
Combined data for the years 2008 to 2010 show that 8.4 percent of full-time college students aged 18 to 22 and 8.2 percent of other young adults (part-time college students and those not currently enrolled in college) aged 18 to 22 experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year
Although both groups had similar rates of past year MDE, other young adults with MDE were more likely than full-time college students with past year MDE to report that the mood related to their MDE very severely impaired their important activities and relationships and to report that they experienced more than 60 days in the past year when they were totally unable to carry out their normal activities
Despite greater severity of symptoms among other young adults with MDE, both groups were equally likely to receive specialty mental health treatment (43.9 vs. 40.4 percent)