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The use of anti-depressant medications nearly doubled in the 10-year period between 1996 and 2005. Nothing has changed fundamentally in the psyche of Americans to justify the dramatic rise. What, then, do the numbers mean, and what do they tell us about the medical market for these medications?
The data tell us that 27 million Americans are currently on antidepressants, which have become the most widely prescribed class of drugs in the U.S. Currently, 10 percent of the population over the...
The use of anti-depressant medications nearly doubled in the 10-year period between 1996 and 2005. Nothing has changed fundamentally in the psyche of Americans to justify the dramatic rise. What, then, do the numbers mean, and what do they tell us about the medical market for these medications?
The data tell us that 27 million Americans are currently on antidepressants, which have become the most widely prescribed class of drugs in the U.S. Currently, 10 percent of the population over the age of 6 is taking some kind of psychotropic drug. Could "medicated" become the new normal?
Interestingly, the proportion of people actually being treated for depression has increased only slightly, so we cannot attribute the rise in antidepressant use to a greater incidence of the condition. Moreover, the share of the population using psychotherapy decreased from 31.5 to 19.87 percent. We thus appear to be witnessing two parallel trends. First, there seems to be a substitution effect, with more people and their doctors choosing drugs over "talking cures;" and, secondly, more people are now relying on such drugs to deal with a much wider range of conditions, including anxiety and other mood disorders.
The researchers suggest that the rise in the use of antidepressants may be attributed to the introduction of new antidepressants, a broadening in the clinical indications for antidepressant treatment, an increase in direct-to-consumer ("talk to your doctor about…") advertising, and a reduction in the stigma associated with mental conditions. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the some of the increased consumption of antidepressants occurred at the same time that there was a growing concern with a rise in suicidal thoughts among young people, which resulted in the FDA carrying a "black box" warning to that effect.
Still, the medical market for these medications appears to be thriving. And, because there are now generic versions of some of the drugs, there are now cheaper alternatives to many of the most popular brands, making them more affordable and accessible. This has made the taking of drugs deceptively easy, with many patients not being fully aware of the adverse effects of the products they are taking. A UCLA study found that, for all prescriptions in general, two-thirds of doctors do not say how long the medications should be taken and almost half did not state the dosage or frequency of the drug. And doctors mentioned possible side effects only one-third of the time. Worst Pills, Best Pills News is therefore careful to caution patients concerning the risks of these drugs.
One adverse effect that the FDA does not address is the use of these medications on the environment. The rise in the use of antidepressants creates an unexpected source of pollution. Both the pills people swallow and are excreted and leftover pills flushed down the toilet end up in water treatment plants that are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals. Water released by the plants into rivers and other bodies of water may therefore carry the drugs. Antidepressants detected in the brains of fish have been found to affect their behavior, leading to "laid-back" reactions that hamper their ability to fend off predators. This unwanted "trickle-down" effect demonstrates yet again the ecological web of which we are all part, and underlines the social importance of individual decisions.
