Antidepressant use doubles in US, study finds

[SuperDuper! 230]

Antidepressant use doubles in US, study finds

03 Aug 2009 20:00:22 GMT

Source: Reuters

* Use doubles from 13 million to 27 million Americans

* Increase in use not seen among blacks

* More Americans may accept diagnosis of depression

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Use of antidepressant drugs in the United States doubled between 1996 and 2005, probably because of a mix of factors, researchers reported on Monday.

About 6 percent of people were prescribed an antidepressant in 1996 -- 13 million people. This rose to more than 10 percent or 27 million people by 2005, the researchers found.

"Significant increases in antidepressant use were evident across all sociodemographic groups examined, except African Americans," Dr. Mark Olfson of Columbia University in New York and Steven Marcus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia wrote in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

"Not only are more U.S. residents being treated with antidepressants, but also those who are being treated are receiving more antidepressant prescriptions," they added.

More than 164 million prescriptions were written in 2008 for antidepressants, totaling $9.6 billion in U.S. sales, according to IMS Health.

Drugs that affect the brain chemical serotonin like GlaxoSmithKline's <GSK.L> Paxil, known generically as paroxetine, and Eli Lilly and Co's <LLY.N> Prozac, known generically as fluoxetine, are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressant. But the study found the effect in all classes of the drugs.

Olfson and Marcus looked at the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys done by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, involving more than 50,000 people in 1996 and 2005.

"During this period, individuals treated with antidepressants became more likely to also receive treatment with antipsychotic medications and less likely to undergo psychotherapy," they wrote.

SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE

The survey did not look at why, but the researchers made some educated guesses. It may be more socially acceptable to be diagnosed with and treated for depression, they said. The availability of new drugs may also have been a factor.

"Although there was little change in total promotional spending for antidepressants between 1999 ($0.98 billion) and 2005 ($1.02 billion), there was a marked increase in the percentage of this spending that was devoted to direct-to consumer advertising, from 3.3 percent ($32 million) to 12 percent ($122.00 million)," they added.

Dr. Eric Caine of the University of Rochester in New York said he was concerned by the findings. "Antidepressants are only moderately effective on population level," he said in a telephone interview.

Caine, who was not involved in the research, noted that several studies show therapy is as effective as, if not more effective than, drug use alone.

"There are no data to say that the population is healthier. Indeed, the suicide rate in the middle years of life has been climbing," he said.

Olfson and Marcus said out-of-pocket costs for psychotherapy and lower insurance coverage for such visits may have driven patients away from seeing therapists in favor of an easy-to-prescribe pill.

The rise in antidepressant prescriptions also is seen despite a series of public health warnings on use of antidepressant drugs beginning in 2003 after clinical trials showed they increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and teens.

In February 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration added its strongest warning, a so-called black box, on the use of all antidepressants in children and teens.

[SpiritAlight 1]

One cannot be sensitive and not be "depressed".

Having said that, I do all kinds of things to keep from taking any meds, i.e. yoga, sail, listen to music (and dance), make love.... not to mention general adventuring!

That study is not surprising.

Any type of medication will have side affects though.

Yes, everyone knows that.

I know I know there are people here in VJ that may jump in and say how there are people that absolutely need to take pills.

Every body has the right to do and be what they want.

[ScottThuy 140]

Lets all take happy pills....

[almaty 19]

..time are good..people want to fell better..and have disposable $$ times are bad..need help coping...all equals to never ending supply of clients

[Nessa 23]

they need to get laid more often

[SuperDuper! 230]

they need to get laid more often

But people LOSE the sex drive when they are depressed....

[john & jean 37]

THE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM IS NOT A PILL!!!!!

[almaty 19]

they need to get laid more often

But people LOSE the sex drive when they are depressed....

and if not, the pill loses it for them

[Niels Bohr 72]

Hmm...

College students use Antidepressants to help them study such as ritalin. Heck, using them sparingly increases the cognitive abilities temporarily. Nearly becoming a temp servante. Alot of Harvard, and MIT student used them.

[almaty 19]

ritalin, my esteem brother is not an antidepressant..but used in adhd children....along with aderwal

Edited August 4, 2009 by almaty

[Niels Bohr 72]

ritalin, my esteem brother is not an antidepressant..but used in adhd children....along with aderwal

Thanks for the correction.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Dangerous none the less.

[almaty 19]

much so sister mocassin..sold on the street $5 a pill

[Chica Yeyé 41]

I say, good for them. Depression is not 'the blues' and it does not heal itself; it is as devastating a condition as cancer or MS can be; both to the sufferer and the caretakers and families. To think otherwise is to be either naive or ignorant.

[Mark&Steph 0]

ritalin, my esteem brother is not an antidepressant..but used in adhd children....along with aderwal

Ritalin is fun. If you're not an adhd child, that is.