Antidepressant Use Among Adults: United States, 2015-2018

Abstract

In 2018, an estimated 7.2% of American adults had a major depressive episode in the past year (1). Depression is associated with diminished quality of life and increased disability (2). Antidepressants are one of the primary treatments for depression (3) and are among the most frequently used therapeutic medications in the United States (4). This data brief provides recent prevalent estimates for antidepressant use among U.S. adults aged 18 and over, by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, and education. Trends in antidepressant use over the decade from 2009-2010 through 2017-2018 are described.