Overview
- The analysis, published October 17 in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, uses nationally representative GEDA telephone surveys from 2019 to 2024.
- Depressive symptoms in the lowest income group rose from 16.0% in 2019 to 32.9% in 2024, while the highest income group measured 6.0% in 2019, peaked at 11.7% in 2022, and stood at 8.4% in 2024.
- Inequalities widened after 2022 with sharper increases in lower income and lower education groups, and women reported higher burdens.
- The authors and outside experts caution that the study design does not establish causation, though the pattern coincides with energy and food price spikes following Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
- Researchers and commentators urge policy action, including fair wages, healthier workplaces, stronger social protections, and broader access to psychological and psychotherapeutic care.