1 in 10 US Adults Take Antidepressants
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in ten adults in the US take antidepressants, and that many more should.
The CDC study screened 12,000 Americans and determined that only about one-third of those who have severe symptoms of depression are actually being treated with antidepressants. It also stated that more than 60 percent of Americans taking antidepressants have taken them for two or more years, with 14 percent having taken the drugs for more than 10 years.
The study also found that one in 25 teens in the US take antidepressants. This is the first study to offer statistics on how many children ages 12-17 are on antidepressants.
The report, which came out Wednesday, also stated that women take the drugs more than men, and whites use them more than blacks or Hispanics. The study also found that fewer than one-third of Americans taking at least one antidepressant have seen a mental health professional in the last year.