The use of antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs continues to increase, with a new report from pharmacy benefit manager Medco showing that one in five American adults takes at least psychiatric drug. According to Fox News, the biggest increase was seen in the number of people over age 20 taking drugs to regulate attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The report, released Wednesday, shows that overall use of psychiatric medication among adults in the U.S. increased by 22 percent from 2001 to 2010. That makes behavioral medication the most widely prescribed and best-selling of prescription drugs in the country, Fox said.
The biggest increase was seen in the use of drugs to control ADHD in people age 20 to 44. The use of medication like Concerta and Vyvanse tripled in this age group in the nine year period, and doubled in women in the 45 to 65-year-old age group.
Use of anti-depressants also jumped, with 10 percent of men and 21 percent of women taking drugs to treat these disorders.
All of this medication use means a windfall for drug companies. In 2010 alone, Americans spent $16.1 billion on treatment for depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia; $11.6 billion on antidepressants; and $7.2 billion on treatment for ADHD.
Use of antidepressants decreased in some areas, however. The Medco report showed that antidepressant use in children came down in the nine-year period, as well as anti-anxiety drug use in the elderly. Fox points to the risk of side effects as the reason for this decrease.
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