Some studies.
Per multiple studies, antidepressants are severely over-prescribed, and many people who use them do not even qualify for an official depression diagnosis per the DSM.
"It is currently estimated that 1 in 10 people in the United States rely on antidepressants. Additionally, 1 in 4 women in their 40s and 50s are reported to take the drugs." - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319462#Disrupting-serotonin-may-have-side-effects
"In 1998, 11.2 million Americans used these drugs. By 2010, it was 23.3 million." https://www.theguardian.com/news/2013/nov/20/mental-health-antidepressants-global-trends
YIKES - 70% of DSM Psychiatrists Financially Tied to Drug Companies - https://naturalsociety.com/70-of-dsm-psychiatrists-financially-tied-to-drug-companies/
"The use of antidepressants increased nearly 400% between 1988 and 2008, mostly among women between the ages of 40 and 59. Today about 10.4 percent of Americans take antidepressants, compared to 6.5 percent in 1999. And the number of people taking antidepressants long-term—more than 24 months—has doubled, from 3 percent to more than 6 percent." https://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-mind/mood/article/are-antidepressants-overprescribed
As of 2013, "Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two, Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center researchers say. Antibiotics, antidepressants and painkilling opioids are most commonly prescribed, their study found. Twenty percent of patients are on five or more prescription medications, according to the findings, published online in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings." https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/nearly-7-in-10-americans-take-prescription-drugs-mayo-clinic-olmsted-medical-center-find/
"Conclusion: It has been suggested that overprescription of antidepressants is fueled by the increase in the incidence of depression, stress and anxiety, or due to the way psychotropic medications are marketed. However, regardless of the validity of the said reasons, another explanation could be suggested: psychiatric disorders, namely depression, are being overdiagnosed on a considerable scale, probably leading to a list of significant adverse consequences that mostly affect the most vulnerable groups of patients. At the end, further rigorous research should certainly be undertaken to examine the extent and cost of overprescription of psychotropic drugs in society." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30156645/
"Objective: Past studies have shown that many individuals who use antidepressants have no current or lifetime history of mental disorders. However, recent studies suggest that the one-time retrospective evaluation of mental disorders commonly used in such studies may substantially underestimate the true lifetime prevalence of mental disorders. We examined the prevalence of mental disorders, assessed prospectively over multiple interviews, among individuals currently using antidepressants in a community sample.
Conclusions: Many individuals who are prescribed and use antidepressant medications may not have met criteria for mental disorders. Our data indicate that antidepressants are commonly used in the absence of clear evidence-based indications." http://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/article/Pages/2015/v76n01/v76n0106.aspx
"Results: Only 38.4% of participants with 12-month clinician-identified depression met the 12-month MDE criteria. Older adults were less likely than younger adults to meet the criteria - only 14.3% of those 65 years old or older met the criteria, whereas participants with more education and those with poorer overall health were more likely to meet the criteria. Participants who did not meet the 12-month MDE criteria reported less distress and impairment in role functioning and used fewer services. A majority of both groups, however, were prescribed and used psychiatric medications.
Conclusions: Depression overdiagnosis and overtreatment is common in community settings in the USA. There is a need for improved targeting of diagnosis and treatments of depression and other mental disorders in these settings." - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23548817/
"The analysis found that in the general population, those taking antidepressants had a 33 percent higher risk of dying prematurely than people who were not taking the drugs. Additionally, antidepressant users were 14 percent more likely to have an adverse cardiovascular event, such as a stroke or a heart attack." - https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/477940
"According to the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs, 23 Soldiers and Vets commit suicide every day despite taking antidepressant drugs" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22544011/
Read common side effects here: https://www.medicinenet.com/antidepressants/article.htm
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