2021 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Depression and Anxiety

PHQ-4 Psychological Distress Category*

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  Total
Respond.^		 None Mild Moderate Severe
N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%)
North Carolina 3,973 2,935 72.6 70.7-74.3 640 16.1 14.7-17.6 253 7.2 6.2- 8.4 145 4.1 3.3- 5.1
-Non-Hispanic Black 758 530 70.6 66.3-74.5 133 16.9 13.9-20.4 58 7.3 5.2-10.2 37 5.2 3.4- 7.9
GENDER
Male 302 224 74.7 68.1-80.4 48 16.0 11.6-21.7 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Female 456 306 67.4 61.7-72.7 85 17.5 13.6-22.3 42 9.8 6.6-14.3 23 5.3 3.2- 8.7
AGE
18-34 119 *** *** *** 18 14.0 8.4-22.2 17 16.9 10.2-26.7 *** *** ***
35-44 128 95 76.9 67.3-84.3 20 16.3 10.0-25.4 *** *** *** *** *** ***
45-54 132 89 71.8 62.0-79.9 26 17.2 10.9-26.1 *** *** *** *** *** ***
55-64 149 103 74.3 65.9-81.2 30 17.1 11.5-24.6 *** *** *** *** *** ***
65-74 139 101 75.6 65.5-83.5 28 21.1 13.6-31.2 *** *** *** *** *** ***
75+ 82 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S. 66 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
H.S. or G.E.D. 210 147 69.4 61.1-76.6 40 19.2 13.6-26.5 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Some Post-H.S. 231 145 67.5 59.8-74.4 51 19.1 13.9-25.6 *** *** *** 17 6.5 3.8-11.0
College Graduate 249 191 78.2 71.5-83.8 33 13.5 9.1-19.7 19 6.4 3.6-11.1 *** *** ***
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000 73 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$15,000- 24,999 102 *** *** *** 24 21.0 12.8-32.5 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$25,000- 34,999 105 *** *** *** 16 13.7 7.8-23.0 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$35,000- 49,999 88 *** *** *** 20 21.6 13.0-33.7 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$50,000- 74,999 93 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$75,000+ 135 111 82.0 73.3-88.3 17 14.1 8.4-22.6 *** *** *** *** *** ***
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes 286 163 57.0 49.5-64.2 58 21.2 15.6-28.2 39 11.2 7.4-16.6 26 10.6 6.7-16.5
No 468 364 77.2 72.0-81.6 75 15.0 11.6-19.1 19 5.5 3.2- 9.3 *** *** ***
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran 110 74 71.5 61.2-80.0 20 18.0 11.3-27.5 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Non-Veteran 648 456 70.4 65.7-74.7 113 16.7 13.5-20.6 53 8.1 5.7-11.3 26 4.8 2.9- 7.8
RURAL-URBAN CATEGORY1
Urban 256 192 74.9 68.0-80.7 38 14.4 10.0-20.2 17 7.0 3.9-12.3 *** *** ***
Regional City or Suburban County 202 128 63.7 54.8-71.8 40 19.7 13.7-27.4 18 7.4 4.3-12.4 *** *** ***
Rural 300 210 71.4 64.2-77.6 55 17.4 12.7-23.4 *** *** *** *** *** ***
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed 373 281 76.2 70.7-81.0 57 14.0 10.5-18.6 23 6.3 3.8-10.2 *** *** ***
Unemployed 64 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Retired 207 160 77.9 69.4-84.5 32 17.7 11.6-26.0 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Unable to Work 86 *** *** *** 22 21.9 13.3-33.8 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other not in Labor Force 24 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
POVERTY LEVEL2
Less than 50% 34 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
50% to 100% 87 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
101% to 150% 89 *** *** *** 16 18.7 10.7-30.7 *** *** *** *** *** ***
151% to 200% 70 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
More than 200% 314 242 77.4 71.4-82.5 53 18.0 13.4-23.7 *** *** *** *** *** ***
HOUSING
Own 427 322 75.8 70.3-80.5 71 17.4 13.4-22.4 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Rent 268 166 61.4 53.6-68.7 53 17.2 12.5-23.1 30 14.0 9.2-20.7 *** *** ***
Other arrangement 61 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER3
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1) 299 201 72.1 65.0-78.2 57 17.3 12.9-22.9 26 4.8 2.7- 8.4 *** *** ***
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2) 252 183 68.3 60.4-75.3 40 14.3 9.8-20.4 18 11.2 6.7-18.2 *** *** ***
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3) 207 146 71.5 63.9-78.0 36 19.0 13.4-26.3 14 5.8 3.2-10.2 *** *** ***
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX4
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable 123 89 71.1 60.4-79.8 17 15.8 9.2-25.9 *** *** *** *** *** ***
2nd Quartile 175 129 70.8 62.3-78.0 27 15.9 10.6-23.3 12 9.4 5.2-16.5 *** *** ***
3rd Quartile 276 183 66.7 59.4-73.4 56 18.6 13.9-24.5 19 6.1 3.6-10.2 *** *** ***
4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable 184 129 76.3 67.6-83.2 33 16.8 11.1-24.4 *** *** *** *** *** ***

Back to Depression and Anxiety.

*4-item Patient Health Questionnaire based off the 4 questions in this module on Depression and Anxiety.
Over the last 2 weeks how often have you been 'bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things?', 'have you been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?'
'feeling nervous, anxious or on edge?' and 'have you been bothered by not being able to control worrying?'

PLEASE NOTE: Due to changes in the weighting methodology and other factors, results from 2021 are NOT comparable to 2010
and earlier years.

***The estimate was suppressed because it did not meet statistical reliability standards. See BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for more details.

1Based on U.S Census Bureau population estimates at the county level. Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

2Based on 2021 U.S Census Bureau poverty threshold incomes. Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

3NC Dept. of Commerce County Tier Classification, based on respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

4Quartile of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index
(https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html) for respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

^Use caution in interpreting cell sizes less than 50, % = Percentage, C.I.(95%) = Confidence Interval (at 95 percent probability level).
Percentages are weighted to population characteristics and therefore cannot be calculated exactly from the numbers in this table.

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This page was generated on 19AUG22.

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