Thursday, October 27, 2011
Reliance on antidepressants has soared over the last two and a half decades, and Americans are increasingly getting these medications without seeing a psychiatrist or therapist.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates in a new report that 11% of Americans aged 12 or older are taking antidepressants—four times the number of people using the drugs in the late 1980s.
Less than one third of patients on antidepressants told the CDC that they had not seen a mental health professional within the past year.
Middle-aged women are especially likely to take antidepressants, with 23% of all women from age 40 to 59 on the medications.
Americans are also staying on the drugs for extended periods. More than 60% using antidepressants reported taking them for two years or longer, and 14% said they’ve been on the pills for 10 years or more.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
One in 10 Americans Use Antidepressants, Most Don't See a Therapist (by Courtney Hutchison, ABC News)
Antidepressant Use in Persons Aged 12 and Over: United States, 2005–2008 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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