More King County youth say they are depressed

A recent survey by Public Health Seattle-King County shows that 30 percent of youth report feeling so sad or hopeless that they stopped doing some of their usual activities.

There are many possible reasons for the uptick. Researchers noticed that young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer are more likely to be depressed, said Dr. Marguerite Ro, one of the authors of the report.

“Those youth report lack of family support, they’re more likely to be homeless, they’re more likely to be bullied, or physically abused,” she said.

The report is like a community health check-up that happens every two to three years. But not all news is bad. On the bright side, most people have health coverage. On average, only 7 percent are uninsured. Also, fewer adults and youth are smoking tobacco.

However, for youth, tobacco isn’t the issue. “It’s e-cigarettes and vaping devices that includes juuls,” said Ro. “So we’ve seen some rise in youth using those kinds of tobacco products, but we’re also hoping that’s on the decline.”

Ro says the survey helps the county work with community partners to direct resources to addressing these needs.