1 in 10 Americans on Antidepressants

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.

story continues below

• 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.)