Antidepressant Use on the Rise – Do You Know What You Have Been Prescribed?
Over the past 20 years, antidepressant use has been increasing at a shocking rate across the USA and Canada, and studies have confirmed that between 8 to 10 percent of this population are taking them in one form or another.
Over the past 20 years, antidepressant use has been increasing at a shocking rate across the USA and Canada, and studies have confirmed that between 8 to 10 percent of this population are taking them in one form or another.
One of the major reasons for this incline is that doctors are now prescribing antidepressants for ‘off-label’ use for many other symptoms and conditions other than depression. Recent studies carried out have shown that out of all prescriptions issued, 6% were for antidepressants, and only 55% of this amount were issued to treat depression. So, although the figures seem quite alarming, it is not a result of a sudden increase in people suffering from depression.
READ ALSO: Scientist Found a Whole New Way to Take on Cancer
Doctors using ‘off-label’ prescribing is not uncommon. The term ‘off-label’ basically means that that the drug that has been prescribed has not been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for that specific use. The FDA only regulate the approval of the drugs, not the prescription of them, so ‘off-label’ prescribing is perfectly legal.
Some other symptoms and conditions that doctors have prescribed anti-depressants for include anxiety disorders sleep disorders, pain, panic disorders, migraines and even menopause.
No one is to say that these antidepressant drugs do not work in treating the symptoms we are displaying, but it would be nice to see some more clarification around this area to ensure that everyone is aware exactly what they are taking and why!
Related Coverage
- Light is Shined on Perovskite Cell Mysteries
- Nearly Half of All Medical Patients that Prescribed Medications Suffers From Serious Side Effects
- How Drones are Changing the World as We Know It
- An Electronic Sensor That Detects Bacteria
- Breakthrough in Tuberculosis Treatment Comes in the Form of Bacterial Proteins
Don't miss new tech stories on Google
Add TrendinTech once in the Google app and our stories appear in your news suggestions.
Helena Marsh
Helena Marsh is the Editor-in-Chief at TrendinTech, where she leads editorial strategy and oversees coverage across artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise technology. With more than a decade in technology journalism on both sides of the Atlantic, she previously served as a senior editor at Wired UK and covered the technology sector for The Guardian, following the rise of the big platforms, the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the regulatory push from Brussels and Washington. Helena holds an MA in Journalism from City, University of London and is a regular speaker at Web Summit in Lisbon and CES in Las Vegas. She believes technology reporting should be rigorous and plainly written, so readers understand what actually changes for them rather than what a company's announcement promises.
All stories by Helena Marsh (201)