What percentage of the American population is on antidepressants?
Asked by: Lee Tremblay | Last update: August 6, 2025Score: 5/5 (42 votes)
What percentage of the US population takes antidepressants?
During 2015–2018, 13.2% of Americans aged 18 and over reported taking antidepressant medication in the past 30 days. Antidepressant use was higher among women than men in every age group. Use increased with age, in both men and women. Almost one-quarter of women aged 60 and over (24.3%) took antidepressants.
What is the success rate of coming off antidepressants?
The results of the current study show that the high short-term rate of successfully coming off antidepressant medications (71%) is matched by an equally high success rate at the longer term 1–5 years after tapering the antidepressant medication (68%).
What percentage of people are prescribed antidepressants?
antidepressants 7.3 million people (17% of the adult population) opioid pain medicines 5.6 million (13%) gabapentinoids 1.5 million (3%) benzodiazepines 1.4 million (3%)
What country has the highest antidepressant use?
As of 2022, among select Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, Iceland, Portugal, and the UK were the biggest consumers of antidepressants. At that time, people in Iceland consumed antidepressants at a rate of about 157 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 people.
Are Antidepressants Overprescribed?
What is the world no 1 antidepressant?
Zoloft (sertraline): Zoloft is highly effective, although some people find that it is more likely than other SSRIs to cause diarrhea. Zoloft is the most common depression medication; nearly 17% of those surveyed in the 2017 antidepressant use study reported that they had taken this medication.
What state has the highest antidepressant use?
Antidepressant drugs are prescribed in Utah more often than in any other state, at a rate nearly twice the national average.
What celebrities are on antidepressants?
About one in every 10 Americans takes an antidepressant to treat various mental health disorders. In recent years, stars like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Chrissy Teigen have spoken about taking medication to treat mental illness.
What are the benefits of getting off antidepressants?
Reduced Side Effects
Antidepressants can have a number of unpleasant systemic side effects, including weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and gastrointestinal issues. By reducing your antidepressant dose or tapering off medication altogether, you can reduce or eliminate these side effects.
What is the success rate of antidepressants?
Meta-analyses of RCTs typically report antidepressants as 20–30% more effective than placebo, with higher response rates (50% reduction in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HDRS] scores) and improved remission rates (HDRS score of less than 8) [Davis et al.
What is the hardest antidepressant to get off of?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are the most likely antidepressants to cause withdrawal symptoms. Listed according to their risk of causing withdrawal, they include: With a high risk of withdrawal: Desvenlafaxine (Khedezla, Pristiq)
How long does the average person stay on antidepressants?
Clinicians usually recommend that people continue taking antidepressants for about six months after they begin feeling better. Although it is tempting to stop taking the medication as soon as you feel better, abruptly stopping will greatly increase your risk of relapse.
Does your body go back to normal after antidepressants?
How long does it take for your brain to go back to normal after antidepressants? The amount of time it takes to feel “normal” after antidepressants varies widely. Most people recover from withdrawal symptoms after a few weeks . However, in rare cases, it can take months or years to feel completely back to usual.
What is the most prescribed drug in America?
What is the Most Prescribed Drug in the United States? The most prescribed drug in America is atorvastatin. The most common brand name for atorvastatin is Lipitor.
What percentage of the US population is on psych meds?
Data from the National Health Interview Survey
In 2020, 20.3% of adults had received any mental health treatment in the past 12 months, including 16.5% who had taken prescription medication for their mental health and 10.1% who received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional.
What percentage of Americans are depressed?
Basic Facts About Depression. Major depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, affecting more than 8% (21 million) of American adults each year.
How do you know it's time to come off antidepressants?
You are feeling better, and you and the doctor agree that it is time to stop. You have been taking the medicine for at least 6 months after you feel better. You are having counselling to help you cope with problems and help change how you think and feel. You are not worried about the depression coming back.
At what point is it worth trying antidepressants?
Research suggests that antidepressants can be helpful for people with moderate or severe depression. They're not usually recommended for mild depression, unless other treatments like talking therapy have not helped.
Was Princess Diana on antidepressants?
At one stage she experienced hallucinations and was started on Seroquel, which she still takes. On high doses of antidepressants, Diana finds her emotions are blunted, and while she no longer gets really down, she doesn't really experience happiness.
What race takes the most antidepressants?
Among individuals with 12-month depressive and anxiety disorders (n=516), blacks (14.6%) had significantly lower (p < 0.001) antidepressant use than whites (32.4%). Depression severity was significantly associated with higher antidepressant use for whites, but not blacks.
Which state has the most depression?
The prevalence of depression is highest in West Virginia and lowest in Hawaii, according to newly released CDC data.
What age group uses antidepressants the most?
Twenty-three percent of women aged 40–59 take antidepressants, more than in any other age-sex group. Among both males and females, those aged 40 and over are more likely to take antidepressants than those in younger age groups.