1 in 6 Americans Takes a Psychiatric Drug

One in six U.S. adults reported taking a psychiatric drug, resembling an antidepressant or a sedative, in 2013, a brand new research discovered.

The brand new information comes from an evaluation of the 2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), which gathered data on the associated fee and use of well being care in the US.

An earlier authorities report, from 2011, discovered that simply over one in 10 adults reported taking prescribed drugs for "issues with feelings, nerves or psychological well being," the authors wrote in a analysis letter printed right now (Dec. 12) within the journal JAMA Inside Drugs. [9 DIY Ways to Improve Your Mental Health]

However that report, from the Substance Abuse and Psychological Well being Companies Administration, did not "present data on which particular drugs have been extra generally used " or on how lengthy they have been used, stated authors of the brand new research, Thomas Moore, a senior scientist on the Pennsylvania-based nonprofit group the Institute for Protected Treatment Practices, and Dr. Donald Mattison, the chief medical officer on the Canadian consulting firm Danger Sciences Worldwide.

Moore and Mattison discovered that almost 17 p.c of adults within the U.S. reported filling at the least one prescription for a psychiatric drug in 2013.

Antidepressants have been the most typical sort of psychiatric drug within the survey, with 12 p.c of adults reporting that they crammed prescriptions for these medicine, the research stated. As well as, eight.three p.c of adults have been pharmaceuticals from a bunch that included sedatives, hypnotics and anti-anxiety medicine, and 1.6 p.c of adults got antipsychotics, the researchers discovered.

Demographic variations

Psychiatric drug use differed amongst adults of various ages and races, the researchers discovered. The drug use additionally differed by intercourse, the research confirmed. For instance, almost 21 p.c of white adults reported taking a psychiatric drug, in contrast with lower than 9 p.c of Hispanic adults, in line with the report.

Older adults additionally reported the next price of psychiatric drug use. One-quarter of adults ages 60 to 85 reported taking at the least one in every of these medicine, in contrast with lower than 10 p.c of adults ages 18 to 39, the researchers discovered.

As well as, almost twice as many ladies as males reported taking psychiatric medicine: 21 p.c in contrast with 12 p.c, in line with the report. [7 Ways Depression Differs in Men and Women]

Well-liked prescriptions

Two antidepressants topped the checklist for probably the most generally used psychiatric medicine: sertraline hydrochloride, which fits by the model title Zoloft, and citalopram hydrobromide, or Celexa.

Alprazolam, or Xanax, was the most typical drug from the sedative, hypnotic and anti-anxiety class, the research stated. This remedy was the third most typical psychiatric drug total, following Zoloft and Celexa, in line with the report.

Different main medicine included Ambien, which is a hypnotic sleeping tablet, and the antidepressants Prozac and Desyrel, the report stated.

The researchers famous that as a result of the survey information included data on solely a single 12 months, it was tough to find out how lengthy folks had been prescribed completely different psychiatric medicine. Nonetheless, greater than eight in 10 adults who have been taking psychiatric medicine reported long-term use, the researchers wrote.

For antidepressants, there's restricted data obtainable about how lengthy a person ought to keep on the drug, Moore and Mattison wrote. For sure medicine within the sedative, hypnotic and anxiolytic class, nonetheless, folks can develop into dependent, the researchers famous.

To enhance the security of psychiatric medicine, Moore and Mattison advised growing the emphasis on prescribing these drugs on the lowest efficient dose and regularly re-assessing the necessity to maintain people on the medicine.

Initially printed on Reside Science.