In 2023, a Gallup survey found that the percentage of Americans who had dealt with depression sat at 29%, with those currently undergoing treatment sitting at 18%. Most concerningly, this trend is strongest among the 18-29 age demographic, which reports nearly 25% receiving ongoing treatment. In total, it represents the highest state of depression and apathy among the public in generations.
Make no mistake, these numbers suggest nothing less than a societal crisis. This is not only a tragedy for the next generation and for the well-being of those suffering — many in silence — but it also portends a dangerous future for American democracy. As we saw in the last presidential election, a miserable population in discontent is going to do whatever they deem necessary to break from the status quo.
Unfortunately, the man who was seen as the change agent just so happened to be Donald Trump, who has now spent every day of his presidency shattering our democratic institutions and further enriching his band of billionaire oligarchs to take even more from the bottom 99%. While he may have been elected off the back of it, Donald Trump is never going to fix the depression epidemic. But so long as he’s the only one willing to address the problem, he’s going to win by default. For the sake of our country, we desperately need Democratic politicians willing to address this issue.
Enter Tina Smith, our state’s junior U.S. Senator who recently announced her intention to step aside to focus more on her family. Her voice will undoubtedly be missed, being among the champions in Washington D.C. for labor, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. But what has always stood out to me is her advocacy for mental healthcare awareness. For starters, she has talked at length about her own struggle with depression in the past and the negative effects it had on every aspect of her life. She has also promoted antidepressant medication and therapy, fighting back against smears levied against the former by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the recently confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services. Having a public figure be open about her mental health struggles is incredibly valuable, particularly in a society where being open about it is often shamed.
Beyond that, this bold stance also poses an important counter message to Donald Trump, who has staffed his administration full of people who have dismissed antidepressants, all while trying to blame this rise of depression on marginalized groups. By presenting a clear defense for progressive values on mental healthcare, Smith shows those struggling with depression that there are real solutions available to them. It directs people away from embracing reactionary drivel and brings them closer to figuring out their true problems. It also serves to rally people against our broken healthcare system, which has made life saving medication and therapy sessions unaffordable for many.
If Democrats wish to retake power in 2026 and 2028, they should start by learning Tina Smith’s lessons on this emerging crisis.
