27 million Americans on antidepressants

[PocketProtector]

Wow...is that 27 million who can't own guns??


http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N03411375.htm


Antidepressant use doubles in US, study finds
03 Aug 2009 20:00:22 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Use doubles from 13 million to 27 million Americans

* Increase in use not seen among blacks

* More Americans may accept diagnosis of depression

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Use of antidepressant drugs in the United States doubled between 1996 and 2005, probably because of a mix of factors, researchers reported on Monday.

About 6 percent of people were prescribed an antidepressant in 1996 -- 13 million people. This rose to more than 10 percent or 27 million people by 2005, the researchers found.

"Significant increases in antidepressant use were evident across all sociodemographic groups examined, except African Americans," Dr. Mark Olfson of Columbia University in New York and Steven Marcus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia wrote in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

"Not only are more U.S. residents being treated with antidepressants, but also those who are being treated are receiving more antidepressant prescriptions," they added.

More than 164 million prescriptions were written in 2008 for antidepressants, totaling $9.6 billion in U.S. sales, according to IMS Health.

Drugs that affect the brain chemical serotonin like GlaxoSmithKline's <GSK.L> Paxil, known generically as paroxetine, and Eli Lilly and Co's <LLY.N> Prozac, known generically as fluoxetine, are the most commonly prescribed class of antidepressant. But the study found the effect in all classes of the drugs.

Olfson and Marcus looked at the Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys done by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, involving more than 50,000 people in 1996 and 2005.

"During this period, individuals treated with antidepressants became more likely to also receive treatment with antipsychotic medications and less likely to undergo psychotherapy," they wrote.

SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE

The survey did not look at why, but the researchers made some educated guesses. It may be more socially acceptable to be diagnosed with and treated for depression, they said. The availability of new drugs may also have been a factor.

"Although there was little change in total promotional spending for antidepressants between 1999 ($0.98 billion) and 2005 ($1.02 billion), there was a marked increase in the percentage of this spending that was devoted to direct-to consumer advertising, from 3.3 percent ($32 million) to 12 percent ($122.00 million)," they added.

Dr. Eric Caine of the University of Rochester in New York said he was concerned by the findings. "Antidepressants are only moderately effective on population level," he said in a telephone interview.

Caine, who was not involved in the research, noted that several studies show therapy is as effective as, if not more effective than, drug use alone.

"There are no data to say that the population is healthier. Indeed, the suicide rate in the middle years of life has been climbing," he said.

Olfson and Marcus said out-of-pocket costs for psychotherapy and lower insurance coverage for such visits may have driven patients away from seeing therapists in favor of an easy-to-prescribe pill.

The rise in antidepressant prescriptions also is seen despite a series of public health warnings on use of antidepressant drugs beginning in 2003 after clinical trials showed they increased the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and teens.

In February 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration added its strongest warning, a so-called black box, on the use of all antidepressants in children and teens.

[stephpd]

Those are some scary statistics. I just have a hard time understanding how a drug marketed as an antidepressant can increase the risk for suicide. You'd think it would have the exact opposite effect.

I'd also like to see some statistics on how many of the suicides in this country were being medicated with these type of drugs. As it stands I can only guess that the increases are from these 'miracle' drugs.

[Chuck1981]

While I do not like these numbers at all and they are somewhat troubling, I can also not deny the benefits of these drugs in certain situations. I am a person that hates drugs period, I take a daily drug for allergies and I don't even like that, but I need it. I don't even like taking an asprin for hangovers, I figure one of these days I will learn (haven't yet, but there's always hope).

I think for a number of people these drugs can be a huge benefit. Lets face it, each year we are learning more and more about how the brain works and yet we really still know every little. But we do know that there are chemical imbalances, incorrect serotonin levels, etc etc and these drugs can be of some help.

However, in a lot of cases, these drugs just mask the problem and allow people to live their lives without coming to grips with whatever the problem may be, whether it's personal or life in general. And that really isn't a healthy thing. Just because you don't "care" or "worry" anymore does not mean that the problem has been solved, but I feel and fear a lot of people look at the situation as exactly that when the drugs work.

I hate to bring up Huxley's Brave New World, but if you have read that book you probably understand why I have the fear that I do. These drugs have Soma written all over them if they aren't respected.

[Azzy]

How many people are being treated for a symptom and not a cause? I would bet a good chunk are because of an inbalance because of diet. I would want to see the correlation between those on the antidepressants, and which of them had their appendix removed at an early age (which causes a decrease in beneficial bacteria, which keep bad fungus in check).

A simple fungal bloom in a person, which can be caused by not following up antibiotics with a simple addition of yogurt to your diet afterwars can cause a lot of problems, the main one is depression, if it gets bad enough.

How many others are depressed because they cant fit in with all those getting attention because they are depressed?

How many are depressed because they cant keep up with what marketing tells them they should have and desire?

How many cant go to the range and plink, hop on a bike and ride, or spend some time at the golf course or hiking, to clear their mind and refocus on the good things in life?

[Dredly]

I wonder how many of these people who are depressed can tie this directly to stress related to financial concerns. I know I should go see a doc but don't want to as they never give me good news :P

I know about 95% of my daily stress and ultimately depression are caused by money concerns, how long till my taxes go up, can I still afford to give my family what they need? what happens if I lose my job, will I find another? What will happen?

I bet if a poll was done that vast majority of people taking these are due to stress over job and finance.

[novice]

At any given time, about 10% of the population suffers from depression--not always the same people. People recover from depression with treatment and sometimes without it.

Taking a prescribed medication for mental health treatment doesn't disqualify you from owning a firearm necessarily.

It's far better to seek treatment early if you're depressed for two weeks or more than to let the problem fester. It is a real health problem. When depression occurs, whatever the cause, there are chemical changes in the brain. That's what medication is able to address.

[AKross]

Taking a prescribed medication for mental health treatment doesn't disqualify you from owning a firearm necessarily.

It's far better to seek treatment early if you're depressed for two weeks or more than to let the problem fester. It is a real health problem. When depression occurs, whatever the cause, there are chemical changes in the brain. That's what medication is able to address.

I hate to admit this but I went through a rough spot a few years back. 2 family deaths, girl friend cheats on me and then tells everyone around campus my secrets, Identity stolen all in 2 months while I was taking 18 credits. I was on them for a few months did a little one on one time with the college councilor. It seamed to help and it helped me get through that year without going crazy. After the semester was over I stopped taking time (with my doctor's okay) and never been on them since. I don't like drugs, hell don't even use aspirin or other over the counter stuff. A lot of people are under a lot of stress right now and I figure if it gets them trough the tough times and thats the end of it there should be no problem.

Now for people who just get them and stay on them, that is another matter. That and doctors who throw them at patients for the profit or for the hell of it. I wasn't a big fan of the side effects (which I am not getting into). To stay on these things for more than a year, that sounds like a bigger problem.

As usual IMHO

[jcabin]

I wonder how many of these people who are depressed can tie this directly to stress related to financial concerns. I know I should go see a doc but don't want to as they never give me good news :P

I think you hit the nail on the head. I wonder how many of these people over the age of 18, on anti-depressants have financial problems and bad credit scores.

[andrewjs18]

I used to take some medicine to help with my OCD, but I can't remember the name of it (it was the same stuff people use for depression)

my sisters bi-polar got worse when she was on anti depressants than when she went without any.

[Azzy]

I think you hit the nail on the head. I wonder how many of these people over the age of 18, on anti-depressants have financial problems and bad credit scores.

Who the hell cares if you have a credit score? Its like saying "my arm has more needle tracks from heroin than yours does!"

Or

"Look! I got better herpes warts than you! Now I can go get more!"