1 In 25 Adolescents Take Antidepressants: CDC

ATLANTA — Roughly 1 in 25 adolescents in the United States are taking antidepressants, according to a new government study billed as the first to offer such statistics on that age group.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday reported the figure for kids ages 12 to 17. It's based on surveys and depression screenings of about 12,000 U.S. adolescents and adults during the years 2005 through 2008.

The study found about 1 in 10 adults take antidepressants. And perhaps more should: The researchers said only one third of people in the study with symptoms of depression were taking medication.

The finding suggests that "there's a lot of people who are seriously ill who aren't getting treated," said Laura Pratt, the CDC epidemiologist who led the research.

Curiously, rates of antidepressant use were about the same in different income groups, even though earlier research had shown higher rates of depression among the poor, Pratt noted.

The researchers don't know why that is, but other experts have noted that poor people may have less access to medical services and doctors who prescribe the drugs. Also, some people may think they can get over depression themselves or don't want to be labeled as depressed.

Women take antidepressants more than men, and whites use them more than blacks or Mexican-Americans, the study also found.

Also, more than 60 percent of Americans taking antidepressants have been taking a medication two years or longer, and 14 percent have been taking such a drug for 10 years or more.

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Online:

CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs

Comments

[MarcEdward]

08:18 AM on 10/25/2011

Yeah, not enough kids are having adderall shoved down their throats.
I'd rather my kids smoked pot than get mixed up in antidepressants.

[Vajara]

09:16 AM on 10/22/2011

Antipsychotic meds are very dangerous and are now identified as the modern version of lobotomies. The psychiatrists and other sick care professions no longer have to use the "ice pick" to poke the Frontal Lobe and destroy the brain of their patients, they now give their patients the job of reducing the size of their brains with these chemicals by prescription. As Pink Floyd reminds them: "....leave our Kids alone, they are more than just another brick in the wall."

[Raven1970]

12:06 PM on 10/21/2011

Teenagers are not happy by nature. They are going through so many hormonal changes, emotional developments, puberty, self consciousness....no adult says the best time of my life was when I was a teenager! These struggles are a part of growing up, a necessary part of growing up. As adults we know that life will not always be roses, will not always be easy and some very tragic things can befall you, this generation that is popping pills because they are not happy will be phenominally unprepared for life's true challenges...which is why most of them will grow up abusing drugs and alcohol to deal with it.

[James83z28]

07:58 PM on 10/20/2011

I am a disabled veteran with psych and physical ailments from my military accomplishments between 1990-1993. I was on 7 psych medications and chose to stop taking them over a year ago. I have a service dog (MARLEY) she helps with my anxiety levels but without me using “Black-market” marijuana its harder for me to control, without marijuana the ARTHRITIS in my back would be more painful. I say to you the readers KNOW-THE-FACTS…..If it’s legalized it too would stimulate the economy by shutting down unneeded prisons and government spending on prison guards , low-level law officials and programs like” NARK” and “DARE”. These are local programs formed by the government under the “war on Drugs” with money bribes to your local politicians. why do you think we all want to know now “WHERE DID THE MONEY GO ?” The money is hidden in programs!!!Have we forgotten we gave IRAQ “GRANTS” to rebuild not LOANS ? How about the tsunami $$ to Japan to rebuild or to Indonesia to rebuild OR HAITI after their earthquake to rebuild ? I have an IDEA use US tax dollars to help the USA… . The raise they are considering for SSDI is a joke compared the the gas$ increases over the past 3yrs. WE keep writing laws that keep LOW-income, LOW-income. Try sleeping at night knowing the country i was injured protecting is the same country I’m now fighting to legalize an” alleviation” from my symptoms.

[Raven1970]

11:57 AM on 10/21/2011

Thank you for your service. I also commend you for finding alternate ways to manage your anxiety, they start treating you with one drug and suddenly you are taking all this medicine, leading to life long dependency of drugs that are far worse for you than marijuana. I think they should legalize marijuana...right now kids are getting hooked on oxycotin (Roxy's) with no idea how incredibly difficult it will be to get off and those drugs are legal! We put small time marijuana sellers in jail while we allow big pharma to hook our kids on amphetimines through treatments for ADHD and other disorders and allow their pain medications to run rampart across the country and they and not only do they not pay for it...they are making billions...

[andrc657]

03:54 PM on 10/19/2011

Studies show that ANTIDEPRESSANTS DO NOT WORK so why are they being prescribed for adolescents?

[Raven1970]

12:00 PM on 10/21/2011

So that they can start them young in thinking all life's problems can be solved with a pill and therefore cultivate customers for life!

[CHUXKLES]

01:14 PM on 10/19/2011

One in ten...not bad...just wait til PTOS hits in 2013!!! That will make it 9 in 10 with the other 1 in 10 committing suicide!

Oh ya...that's Post Traumatic Obie Syndromeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....