A recent data brief by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that as many as 13.2 percent of adults in the U.S. were prescribed antidepressants in the past 30 days from 2015 to 2018.
According to the report, between the span of 2015 to 2018, the prevalence estimates for all antidepressant use were examined and indicated that women were more likely than men to receive prescriptions.
Among women in late-adulthood, or age 60 and older, this age group had the highest use of antidepressants compared to younger adults.
Antidepressant use was also higher among non-Hispanic Whites, in comparison to Latinos, non-Hispanic Blacks, and non-Hispanic Asians.
Moreover, the data brief also uncovered that adults with some higher educational attainment had higher antidepressant use.
When compared to prevalence estimates of antidepressant use from 2009 to 2010, the report’s co-authors conferred that its usage increased.
“This data brief provides recent prevalent estimates for antidepressant use among U.S. adults aged 18 and over, by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, and education,” the CDC data brief states. “Trends in antidepressant use over the decade from 2009–2010 through 2017–2018 are described.”
