Subscribe
Previous Post
Whether depression is being diagnosed more often or it’s becoming more accepted to seek treatment, use of antidepressant medications has doubled in the United States since the mid-1990s.
Major depression strikes twice as many women as men, about 10% to 25%, and it often runs in families, usually starting somewhere between the ages of 15 years and 30 years. Depression can be treated through counseling, psychotherapy, and medications. Often, medications are used to stabilize someone so he or she can get a good start with psychotherapy, although some people must stay on medications for the long term.
According to a study published in the newest issue of Archives of General Psychiatry , about 13 million people were taking antidepressant medications in 1996, but in 2005, the number rose dramatically to 23 million.
All groups were similarly affected, except for African Americans who were on the lower end of the scale in both 1996 and 2005. Antidepressant use did rise among Hispanics, but not as high as with others.
What is particularly interesting about this study is that researchers found patients who also took antidepressants were often more likely to be taking antipsychotic medications, treatments for schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses. As well, they were less likely to be going for counseling or psychotherapy.
~~~~
Images: iStock.com
It doesn’t surprise me that there is a big increase in anti-depressant drugs. It seems to be a part of American culture. What you fail to mention is that depression can also be treated with food. I don’t mean, eating a ton of food to drown out your sorrows. I mean eat healthy natural food and avoiding processed chemicals. I believe that the increase in depression is heavily related to the chemicals we consume.