This study screened ~2500 people for symptoms vs self reporting, and found little difference due to party. But if we agree, you're happier, but you die earlier and commit more suicide. Go figure.

A new study

published in September (2024) in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice sheds light on the mental health crisis gripping millions of Americans, and the findings suggest that depression is a bipartisan issue that affects people across party lines. According to the study, there is, however, a striking divide on whether people seek mental health treatment, with Republicans less likely to have accessed care despite reporting similar rates of depression compared to Democrats and Independents.

This research, led by Catherine Ettman, PhD, and C. Ross Hatton, PhD, MPA, of the Department of Health Policy and Management in collaboration with NORC at the University of Chicago, comes at an urgent moment as the U.S. grapples with the ongoing mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the study, more than 22.5 million adults are estimated to have had a depressive episode in 2022, and depression has now also emerged as one of the costliest conditions for the U.S. economy, topping over $326 billion annually. As depression gains national attention, discourse, and policy conversations, the study underscores the need for a bipartisan approach to addressing gaps in mental health care access.

The study, which included a survey of 2,479 U.S. adults this past spring, explored two main questions: whether depression rates vary across political party lines, and whether people with depressive symptoms were accessing mental health care.

Contrary to previous studies that found mental health outcomes may be worse for Democrats and Independents compared to Republicans, this study finds that depressive symptoms are virtually indistinguishable across party lines. The data showed 25.2% of Democrats screened positive for depression, compared with 23% of Independents and 20.5% of Republicans. These differences were not statistically significant, meaning that depression does not appear to discriminate by political belief.
publichealth.jhu.edu - New study shows bipartisan struggles with depression reveals gaps in mental health care access