Prescription Meds for Mental Health

Twenty-one percent of Americans aged 18 or older have taken a prescription medication in the past four weeks to help with their mental health, according to the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey. Ten percent say they have received counseling from a mental health professional in the past four weeks, and another 11 percent say they needed counseling but did not get it. 

Women are far more likely than men to be on medication for mental health issues—26 percent of women reported taking medication in the past four weeks versus 15 percent of men. People who live alone are more likely to be taking medication (25 percent) than those who live with others. Interestingly, the use of medication falls with household income—from 25 percent of those with household incomes below $25,000 to just 15 percent of those with household incomes of $200,000 or more. 

People who have had to borrow money from friends or family in the past 7 days to make ends meet are the ones most likely to be taking prescription medication for mental health. Fully 29 percent of these borrowers are on medication.

Source: Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey, January 6-18 

Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs Plummet

Out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs has fallen steeply over the past decade. In 2018, those who purchased retail prescription drugs spent a median of $54 for them—42 percent less than the $93 spent in 2009, after adjusting for inflation.

An analysis of retail prescription drug spending based on data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey shows that out-of-pocket spending fell not just at the median, but at every point in the distribution of spending. Even those who spend the most on prescription drugs saw their out-of-pocket costs fall substantially. Those whose spending on retail prescription drugs is at the 95th percentile, for example, saw their annual out-of-pocket costs fall from $1,369 to $945 between 2009 and 2018—a 31 percent decline, after adjusting for inflation. 

Among people aged 65 or older, out-of-pocket spending on retail prescription drugs fell for those on Medicare Part D, for those with private drug insurance, and even for without prescription drug insurance. Older Americans covered by Medicare Part D spent a median of $160 on retail prescription drugs in 2018, down from $341 in 2009, after adjusting for inflation. The elderly with no drug coverage saw their median annual spending fall from $318 in 2009 to $177 in 2018. 

"In recent years overall affordability of retail prescription drugs has not deteriorated, and may have improved," the analysis concludes. 

Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Out-of-Pocket Spending for Retail Prescribed Drugs by Age and Type of Prescription Drug Coverage, 2009 to 2018

More than 1 in 10 Adults Take Antidepressants

The use of antidepressant medications is widespread in the United States, with 13.8 percent of adults taking antidepressants in the past 30 days. Women are more than twice as likely to use antidepressants as men—18.6 percent of women versus 8.7 percent of men took antidepressants in the past month, according to the National Center for Health Statistics' 2017–18 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The use of antidepressants rises with age. Nearly one in four women aged 60 or older took an antidepressant in the past 30 days...

Percent of men using antidepressants in past 30 days, 2015–18

Aged 18 to 39: 5.5%

Aged 40 to 59: 8.4%

Aged 60-plus: 12.8%

Percent of women using antidepressants in past 30 days, 2015–18

Aged 18 to 39: 10.3%

Aged 40 to 59: 20.1%

Aged 60-plus: 24.3%

The use of antidepressants is highest among non-Hispanic whites, with 16.6 percent taking antidepressants in the past month. The figure is 7.8 percent among Blacks, 6.5 percent among Hispanics, and just 2.8 percent among Asians. 

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Antidepressant Use among Adults: United States, 2015–2018

Fewer Use Prescription Drugs

Although it seems as though prescription drug use is on the rise, in fact the percentage of Americans who have used one or more prescription drugs in the past 30 days has declined over the past decade—from 48.3 percent in 2007–08 to 45.8 percent in 2015–16. All of the decline in prescription drug use occurred among children under age 12, their use falling from 22.4 to 18.0 percent during those years.

Percent who have used one or more prescription drugs in past 30 days, 2015–16
Total population: 45.8%
Under age 12: 18.0%
Aged 12 to 19: 27.0%
Aged 20 to 59: 46.7%
Aged 60-plus: 85.0%

Bronchodilators are the most common type of prescription drug used by children (4.3 percent use them). Teens most commonly take central nervous system stimulants for attention deficit disorder (6.2 percent). Antidepressants are the most common drug taken by people aged 20 to 59 (11.4 percent). Among those aged 60 or older, lipid-lowering drugs are number one (46.3 percent).

The use of prescription drugs varies by race and Hispanic origin. Non-Hispanic Whites are most likely to have used prescription drugs in the past 30 days, with 50 percent having taken them. Asians are least likely (33 percent). Among people aged 60-plus, however, there is little difference in prescription drug use by race and Hispanic origin, with 82 to 85 percent having taken them in the past 30 days. The biggest differences by race and Hispanic origin are in the 20-to-59 age group. The 52 percent majority of non-Hispanic Whites aged 20 to 59 have taken a prescription drug in the past 30 days compared with 45 percent of Blacks, 34 percent of Hispanics, and just 30 percent of Asians.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Prescription Drug Use in the United States, 2015–2016