Are too many Americans taking antidepressants?
Primary care clinicians write most prescriptions, while telehealth accounted for roughly one-third of antidepressant prescribing by 2022, analysts said.
- Drugs for treating depression are among the most prescribed medications in the U.S., with one in six American adults taking them; primary care clinicians now write most antidepressant prescriptions rather than psychiatrists.
- Before the COVID-19 pandemic, only 1% to 2% of antidepressant medications were prescribed via telehealth, but by 2022, this figure reached roughly one-third as virtual visits helped patients bypass stigma and find convenient care.
- A 2024 review of rigorous studies found roughly a quarter of patients stopping antidepressants experienced withdrawal symptoms, with 3% reporting severe effects including headaches and electrical sensations in the head.
- In May 2026, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launched an effort encouraging doctors to find alternatives to antidepressants for mild depression, addressing systemic concerns about overprescribing.
- Clinical Professor Andrew McLean of the University of North Dakota notes the full picture remains nuanced; while systemic issues undoubtedly drive overprescribing in some cases, expanded access has enabled people who need treatment to receive it.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Sadness as Diagnosis: Why America Has Turned to Antidepressants
In the United States, one in six adults now takes antidepressants, a statistic that has ignited fierce debate. Critics, including some medical professionals and politicians, contend that these medications are being overprescribed, leading to a crisis of overdiagnosis. However, a closer examination of the data suggests that the issue runs deeper than individual physician error, pointing instead to a systemic failure within the nation's healthcare…
The Conversation
Are too many Americans taking antidepressants?
Rates of anxiety and depression have grown since the COVID-19 pandemic – as have prescriptions for antidepressants. brizmaker/iStock via Getty Images PlusDrugs for treating depression are among the most prescribed category of medications in the U.S. – 1 in 6 American adults take them. Some health researchers and advocates have raised concerns that too many patients are using antidepressants and that patients who want to stop taking them struggle…
Are too many Americans taking antidepressants? - Stateline Publications
Drugs for treating depression are among the most prescribed category of medications in the U.S. – 1 in 6 American adults take them. Some health researchers and advocates have raised concerns that too many patients are using antidepressants and that patients who want to stop taking them struggle to do so. One of the most prominent voices on this point is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who launched an effort in May 2026…
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