Are people more depressed today than in the past 100 years?

[Brem]

Do you think depression is more rampant today than it was one hundred years ago or more? I don't think we can necessarily say one or the other is or was more depressed, or faced more depression. I think in some ways people are more depressed today, but that's because the stigma around mental illness isn't as big as it used to. People are accepting of their conditions and try to make changes to fix their problems. But in the past, people bottled it in, and a lot of the therapy for mental illness was savage, like lobotomy and using shock therapy. Today there are major advancements in mental health awareness, and I think today we are better off than we were hundreds of years ago.

Because, a lot of those people hundreds of years ago, probably lived in poverty, kept their depression secret, or just didn't talk to anyone about it. Some probably used alternative methods, some that physically harmed you.

I think today people are more depressed, but it's because we're aware of it and are more open about it. In the past, people kept quiet.

 

[Hazel]

I think it is hard to compare directly. One hundred years ago, depression likely existed at similar levels, but it was underdiagnosed and often unrecognized. Today, awareness, diagnostic criteria, and reporting are much higher, so it seems more prevalent. Social pressures, modern lifestyles, and constant connectivity may also influence mental health, but historical data is limited.

 

[Fidelia]

Hundred years ago, life was very slow. There was no information overload as there is now. There was no medium for someone to compare himself or herself with millions of people in different parts of the world. And there was less pressure to make money. That's why depression was less at that time.

 

[Shree]

Research suggests depression rates have risen, but comparisons over a century are complex. Modern life adds stressors like social media, economic pressure, and urbanization, which may increase prevalence. Better diagnosis and awareness also make cases more visible today, so reported rates may reflect recognition as much as actual increase.