A new study shows that more Hispanic women are taking antidepressants

Depression and anxiety can be triggered by a number of factors, family, work, relationships, social media…it really varies from person to person. A new report shows that during 2011-2014, females in every race and Hispanic origin groups were significantly more likely than males of the same race and Hispanic-origin group to have taken antidepressant medication.

Non-Hispanic white people were more likely to take antidepressant medication in the past month compared to other races and Hispanic groups. One in ten men reported taking antidepressant medication in the past month, according to the report released by the CDC. That’s a 69% increase from 1999 to 2002 and back then only 5% reported taking antidepressants.

The majority of antidepressants are taken to treat depression, but these drugs could also treat other disorders, such as anxiety disorders. The study surveyed people over the age of 12 and 12.7% of them reported antidepressant medication–yet females were about twice as likely than males to take antidepressant medication. Antidepressant usage increased with age, the highest usage with 19.1% with persons over the age of 60. Unfortunately, this is a long-term problem because 21% of men and 27.2% of females reported taking antidepressants for 10 years or longer.

The good news is that people are addressing their mental health issues, whether it be depression, anxiety, or other. Many times antidepressants get prescribed to people battling with addiction, eating disorders, chronic pain, and various psychiatric disorders and health conditions. So it varies from person to person, but these numbers show that more people are getting the help they need. Having a mental health issue is something that people are more open about and this can lead them to seek treatment which is what these findings revealed.