Barack Obama's overall approval rating has dropped below 50% as a growing number of Americans worry that the U.S. is likely to slip into another Great Depression within the next 12 months, according to a new national poll

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows that 48% of people questioned say that they approve of how Obama is handling his duties in the White House, down six points from late May 2011. An equal 48% say that they disapprove of how Obama's performing, up three points from late last month. The poll indicates a slight deterioration among Democrats and independent voters, with Obama's approval rating among Democrats down three points to 82% and down five points among independents to 42%. Forty-eight percent say that another Great Depression is likely to occur in the next year - the highest that figure has ever reached. The survey also indicates that just under half live in a household where someone has lost a job or are worried that unemployment may hit them in the near future. According to the survey, more than eight in ten Americans say that the economy is in poor shape, a number that has stubbornly remained at that level since March 2011.