Tuesday, February 11, 2014

The Antidepressant Boom

Maybe it was the Great Recession, or pharmaceutical advertising, or the advice of doctors. Whatever the reason, the result is clear: a booming market for antidepressants. The number of Americans who purchased an antidepressant grew by an enormous 65 percent in ten years—rising from 18.5 million in 2000 to 30.6 million in 2010. Overall, nearly 10 percent of Americans purchased a prescribed antidepressant in 2010, up from 7 percent in 2000. Here are the 2010 percentages by age...

Percent purchasing a prescribed antidepressant in 2010
Total people: 9.9%
Under age 18: 1.3%
Aged 18 to 44: 8.8%
Aged 45 to 64: 16.2%
Aged 65-plus: 16.2%

Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Statistical Brief 430, Trends in Antidepressant Utilization and Expenditures in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population by Age, 2000 and 2010

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