Why are so many people taking antidepressants?

How many people are taking anti-depressants?

Fact: More people are taking antidepressants than ever before. The total number of Americans taking antidepressants (the prevalence of antidepressant use) increased from 6.5% in 1999-2000 to 10.4% in 2009-2010. 

Mental health concerns are on the rise

Certainly times are stressful. About 34% of Americans will experience some type of clinical anxiety in their lifetime. Lifestyles have changed too, many people spend large parts of their day sitting and/or staring at a screen. Sometimes it feels like social media is everywhere. The standard American diet (aptly abbreviated as SAD) makes us more sad. There are certainly many factors that have changed over time that we can point to like worsening mental health and less brain-healthy lifestyles which might explain the rise in people taking antidepressants. 

People are taking anti-depressants for longer

But check out this striking fact: People are taking antidepressants for a long time. In 2011-2014, 25% of people above age 12 who had taken an antidepressant in the last month had done so for 10 years or more. 68% of people for two years or more. 

Interestingly, a published article in 2021 suggested that increased levels of antidepressant prescribing is actually mostly due to longer periods of prescribing rather than new prescriptions. Meaning it’s not necessarily that more and more people are taking antidepressants but also (and maybe even mostly) because people are staying on these antidepressants for longer and longer periods of time. 

You have control

This is important because this is something that you and your doctor have a lot of control over. Changing your lifestyle, habits, mindset, facing past traumas, eating differently are hard to do and take time. But calling up your doctor to make an appointment to discuss if you should keep taking your antidepressant you’ve been on for years – that you can do today. 

Sources:

Mojtabai R, Olfson M. National trends in long-term use of antidepressant medications: results from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Clin Psychiatry. 2014 Feb;75(2):169-77. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08443. PMID: 24345349.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db377.htm 

Products – Data Briefs – Number 283 – August 2017 (cdc.gov)

Szuhany KL, Simon NM. Anxiety Disorders: A Review. JAMA. 2022;328(24):2431–2445. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.22744

Achour Y, Lucas G, Iceta S, Boucekine M, Rahmati M, Berk M, Akbaraly T, Aouizerate B, Capuron L, Marx W, Lane MM, Nguyen CD, Do H, Tran BX, Yon DK, Boyer L, Fond G. Dietary Patterns and Major Depression: Results from 15,262 Participants (International ALIMENTAL Study). Nutrients. 2025 May 4;17(9):1583. doi: 10.3390/nu17091583. PMID: 40362892; PMCID: PMC12073559.

Kendrick T. Strategies to reduce use of antidepressants. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2021 Jan;87(1):23-33. doi: 10.1111/bcp.14475. Epub 2020 Jul 27. PMID: 32656861.