1 in 10 Americans on Antidepressants

Use is up 400% since 1988, says CDC
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 20, 2011 4:39 PM CDT
1 in 10 Americans on Antidepressants
File photo of antidepressant pills.   (Getty Images)

The CDC rounds up some depressing stats about antidepressant use:

  • More than one in 10 Americans (11%) older than 12 take the drugs, the majority of them for depression.
  • That marks a 400% increase since 1988 and makes antidepressants the most commonly used drug for people ages 18 to 44, notes USA Today.
  • Less than one-third of those on antidepressants have seen a mental health professional in the last year.

  • Women are more likely than men to take the drugs, and 23% of females ages 40 to 59 do so.
  • About 14% of whites take antidepressants, versus 4% of blacks and 3% of Mexican-Americans, notes the Wall Street Journal.
  • More than 60% of those on the medication have been taking it for more than two years.
  • Only about one-third of people with symptoms of severe depression are taking them.
(Read more antidepressant stories.)

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