2021 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Depression and Anxiety

PHQ-4 Psychological Distress Category*

View results for a demographic group:
Select a different topic:
View results for a different geographical area:
  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 White 2,522 1,917 74.3 72.0-76.4 367 14.5 12.9-16.3 154 7.4 6.1- 9.0 84 3.8 2.9- 5.0
GENDER
Male 1,161 920 77.9 74.8-80.8 156 13.3 11.2-15.8 54 5.3 3.9- 7.2 31 3.4 2.1- 5.6
Female 1,361 997 71.1 67.8-74.1 211 15.6 13.4-18.1 100 9.2 7.2-11.7 53 4.1 3.0- 5.7
AGE
18-34 387 250 63.5 57.6-69.0 79 19.2 15.0-24.2 41 12.4 8.9-17.1 17 4.9 2.9- 8.2
35-44 339 231 67.8 61.2-73.7 66 19.1 14.5-24.8 26 8.4 4.9-14.1 16 4.7 2.6- 8.3
45-54 390 295 76.3 71.2-80.8 55 12.8 9.6-16.9 27 7.1 4.7-10.5 *** *** ***
55-64 469 351 74.7 69.2-79.4 66 13.1 9.9-17.0 29 6.6 4.3- 9.9 *** *** ***
65-74 547 458 84.5 80.4-87.9 62 10.8 8.0-14.4 19 3.4 2.0- 5.9 *** *** ***
75+ 353 300 80.4 73.6-85.8 35 11.9 8.3-16.9 *** *** *** *** *** ***
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S. 117 *** *** *** 19 15.8 9.1-25.9 17 15.0 9.0-24.0 *** *** ***
H.S. or G.E.D. 527 391 74.0 68.9-78.5 61 10.2 7.6-13.4 45 9.8 6.8-13.9 30 6.1 3.7- 9.9
Some Post-H.S. 696 505 72.3 68.2-76.1 121 17.5 14.4-21.0 44 6.9 4.8- 9.8 26 3.3 2.1- 5.1
College Graduate 1,180 949 79.7 77.0-82.2 166 14.6 12.4-17.0 48 4.4 3.2- 6.0 17 1.3 0.8- 2.2
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000 91 *** *** *** 18 18.7 10.8-30.4 15 16.4 9.1-27.8 *** *** ***
$15,000- 24,999 163 102 58.8 49.0-67.9 39 24.9 17.8-33.7 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$25,000- 34,999 218 146 65.0 56.7-72.6 36 16.4 11.2-23.4 21 12.0 7.1-19.5 15 6.6 3.6-11.6
$35,000- 49,999 254 176 72.7 66.1-78.5 53 18.5 13.7-24.3 17 6.3 3.7-10.7 *** *** ***
$50,000- 74,999 364 299 81.6 75.9-86.1 44 11.5 7.9-16.5 15 4.7 2.7- 8.2 *** *** ***
$75,000+ 954 794 81.9 78.7-84.6 111 12.0 9.7-14.6 37 4.7 3.2- 6.8 *** *** ***
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes 766 448 54.6 50.1-59.0 159 20.1 16.9-23.6 90 15.3 11.9-19.4 69 10.1 7.4-13.6
No 1,739 1,457 82.9 80.6-85.0 204 12.0 10.2-14.0 63 4.0 3.0- 5.4 15 1.1 0.6- 1.9
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran 330 278 83.3 78.0-87.6 32 10.2 6.9-14.8 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Non-Veteran 2,189 1,636 73.0 70.6-75.3 335 15.1 13.4-17.1 143 7.9 6.5- 9.7 75 3.9 2.9- 5.3
RURAL-URBAN CATEGORY1
Urban 705 534 76.3 72.4-79.8 109 14.5 11.8-17.7 43 6.2 4.3- 8.7 19 3.0 1.8- 5.0
Regional City or Suburban County 703 540 74.3 70.1-78.1 102 15.7 12.6-19.4 38 6.3 4.4- 8.8 23 3.8 2.3- 6.0
Rural 1,114 843 72.8 69.1-76.2 156 13.7 11.4-16.3 73 9.1 6.8-12.2 42 4.4 2.8- 6.9
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed 1,334 1,042 77.2 74.3-79.8 185 13.6 11.6-16.0 77 6.8 5.2- 8.9 30 2.3 1.5- 3.5
Unemployed 91 *** *** *** 25 23.6 15.5-34.1 13 15.6 8.6-26.5 *** *** ***
Retired 817 688 83.3 79.7-86.4 90 11.6 9.1-14.5 29 3.9 2.3- 6.7 *** *** ***
Unable to Work 148 54 32.2 24.1-41.5 36 21.2 14.8-29.5 24 20.5 13.2-30.2 34 26.1 17.0-37.8
Other not in Labor Force 121 *** *** *** 30 23.1 15.0-33.8 *** *** *** *** *** ***
POVERTY LEVEL2
Less than 50% 21 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
50% to 100% 133 *** *** *** 27 17.0 10.9-25.6 20 14.0 8.5-22.3 *** *** ***
101% to 150% 156 95 56.9 46.6-66.7 35 22.6 15.5-31.9 *** *** *** *** *** ***
151% to 200% 190 127 66.6 58.4-73.9 36 18.4 13.0-25.2 15 8.3 4.6-14.6 *** *** ***
More than 200% 1,536 1,252 81.0 78.5-83.3 197 12.6 10.7-14.7 64 4.9 3.7- 6.5 23 1.4 0.9- 2.3
HOUSING
Own 1,950 1,574 78.9 76.6-81.1 243 12.8 11.1-14.7 88 5.5 4.2- 7.0 45 2.8 1.9- 4.1
Rent 413 247 55.4 49.5-61.1 90 20.5 16.5-25.2 46 14.2 10.2-19.4 30 9.9 6.5-14.7
Other arrangement 141 *** *** *** 32 24.1 16.0-34.6 19 18.3 10.6-29.9 *** *** ***
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER3
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1) 574 442 74.4 68.9-79.2 82 14.3 11.0-18.3 29 7.1 4.2-11.9 *** *** ***
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2) 1,150 866 73.1 69.7-76.2 161 13.9 11.6-16.5 80 8.8 6.8-11.3 43 4.3 3.0- 6.1
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3) 798 609 75.6 71.9-78.9 124 15.5 12.8-18.7 45 5.9 4.3- 8.2 20 3.0 1.8- 4.9
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX4
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable 883 681 74.4 70.5-77.9 127 14.5 11.9-17.5 47 6.8 4.6- 9.8 28 4.4 2.6- 7.2
2nd Quartile 667 502 75.1 71.0-78.8 95 14.2 11.4-17.7 51 7.8 5.8-10.4 19 2.9 1.7- 5.0
3rd Quartile 702 523 72.5 68.1-76.5 109 14.5 11.8-17.7 42 8.5 5.8-12.3 28 4.4 2.9- 6.7
4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable 270 211 76.4 68.5-82.9 36 15.9 10.3-23.8 *** *** *** *** *** ***

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.

BRFSS Home | Annual Questionnaires | Technical Notes

This page was generated on 19AUG22.

SCHS Home | FAQs | Contacts