- A University of Michigan study found an increase in antidepressant use among adolescents since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, especially among females
- More adolescents are turning to mental health services, and anxiety and depression diagnoses are higher than ever
- Psychiatrists and educators say mental health initiatives need more funding and support to address the higher need
Antidepressant use among females as young 12 has soared since 2016, with the biggest jump occurring during the pandemic, according to a new national study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan.
That same study found that young women in the Midwest have the highest rate of antidepressant use in the nation.
The study is the latest warning about both the mental health impact of the pandemic on children, teens and young adults, and how that impact is being borne overwhelmingly by women.
Researchers analyzed data from a national database representing 92% of prescriptions dispensed in U.S. pharmacies. They found that in December 2022, the most recent data available, 4,554 per 100,000 (1 of every 22) middle and high-school girls between the ages of 12-17 were prescribed an antidepressant, a 95% percent increase in seven years. The rates for women between the ages of 18-25 also spiked in the same time period, with 6,951 per 100,000 (1 in 14) taking an antidepressant in December 2022, a 74% increase.
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The rates of antidepressant prescriptions for boys and young men also rose, but at a significantly lower pace. Boys ages 12-17 saw a 35% increase in prescriptions, and young men ages 18-25 had a 53% increase.
Antidepressants can help alleviate the sometimes crippling symptoms of depression, like “being able to get out of bed in the morning. staying up late and sleeping a big chunk of the day, not functioning very well, not being able to shower, not being able to attend to grooming and hygiene,” according to Marianne Huff, president and CEO of the Mental Health Association in Michigan.
Data revealing an increase in medications to treat depression in youth doesn’t surprise Darby Hoppenstedt, director of community partnerships at Northville Public Schools.
“That trend was occurring prior to the pandemic,” Hoppenstedt said. “It’s only continued to increase post-pandemic and for us, the support that we provide really must be accessible, inclusive and tailored to the needs of the school population.”
