aim 29 depression myths and project.notebook

1

November 27, 2017

What Does a 400% Increase in Antidepressant Use Really Mean?

1. How many Americans ages 12 and over are now taking antidepressant medication in the U.S.?

2. What evidence does this article provide that leads us to believe depression is a growing concern in the U.S.?

3. How many of the people with depression symptoms are actually taking medication? Why can this be problematic?

4. Even though depression affects men, women are still 2.5 times more likely to take antidepressants than men who have depression.  What could be the contributing factors to this statistic?

5. Although antidepressants cut the risk of a relapse into a depressive episode, why are researchers so concerned with the long term use as well as the overprescribing of antidepressants?

More than 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 12.

• It's estimated that 9% of Americans will suffer from depression at any given time.• There has been a 400% increase in antidepressant prescriptions since 1988.

• Only 1 in 3 people with depression are actually taking medication for it.• This problematic because those who need help aren't getting it and are

suffering, possibly with to a dangerous extreme (suicidal thoughts/attempts)

• Women are more likely to seek help and admit they aren't feeling well whereas men may not want to admit they are suffering or feeling that way because they will be judged and ridiculed for not being "tough enough."

• More women are also diagnosed with anxiety (than men) and are taking the same medications for those disorders.

• There is not much research in regards to the long term use of many of these medications and we don't really know if they are negative effects in the long run.

• In terms of over-prescribing, most of the people who are taking these medications are getting it from their primary-care doctor and not a mental health professional (psychologist/therapist). Which means, they are not coupling it with talk therapy.

• 2.8% of boys ages 12-17• 4.6% of girls ages 12-17

aim 29 depression myths and project.notebook

2

November 27, 2017

DEPRESSION MYTHS!• Depression is just a feeling; you can snap out of it if you 

try hard enough. • Only really stressed people get depressed. • Depression only occurs when bad things happen. • It's easy to make yourself feel better. • There's nothing you can do to treat depression.• You will need medicines like Prozac and Zoloft for the rest 

of your life.• Only adults suffer from depression. • Therapy is lying on a couch talking about your childhood. • Antidepressants can help anybody with depression. • There are no outward signs of depression. • People dealing with depression never experience extreme 

highs.• Depression and sadness are the same thing.

Aim #29

aim 29 depression myths and project.notebook

3

November 27, 2017

DEPRESSION FACTS• People with mental illnesses are still capable of working.• Many times men fly under the radar with mental 

illnesses.• People with mental illnesses are more likely to be the 

victim of violence and crime rather than committing violence and crime.

• Depression can sneak up slowly on someone.• Some people don’t cry or even act terribly sad when 

depressed.• Depression can imitate dementia in older people.• Exercise can be good medicine.• There are different types of depression with varying 

symptoms.• Depression can imitate ADD and ADHD in children.