One in five U.S. adults takes medication for a mental disorder

[The Straight Story]

One in five U.S. adults takes medication for a mental disorder

Medications to treat mental health disorders is soaring among U.S. adults, according to data released Wednesday by Medco Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefit manager.

Twenty percent of all adults said they took at least one medication to treat a mental disorder. Among women, 25% said they took such medication and 20% said they were using an antidepressant.

The survey analyzed prescription drug trends among 2.5 million insured Americans from 2001 to 2010.

Medco researchers also found that adults ages 20 to 44 had the greatest uptick in use of anti-anxiety medications, atypical antipsychotics and drugs to treat ADHD. The number of women on ADHD medications was 2.5 times higher in 2010 than in 2001.

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-mental-health-20111116,0,6275462.story

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[HuckleB]

2. None of them are smart enough to seek treatment, however. -eom-

[The Straight Story]

3. Not sure, but I am one of those taking such meds, and I could run the country pretty well

Hell, I think I trust people on meds more than those not on them :)

[aquart]

4. Give us ample national health and we won't be stressed to insanity.

And stop sending our young to foreign countries to murder strangers. It turns out to be bad for mental health.

[saras]

5. That explains the crazy as good as anything else

I wonder if all the ADHD "medicine" is speed, or just some of it.

Ever since they've been invented, there's always a good excuse for the upper classes to take speed. When I was young, it was "diet pills". In the fifties they were over-the-counter drugs, and you could do whatever you wanted with them.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Now how many *should* be taking medication for a mental disorder?

[Octafish]

7. Throw in the people who self-medicate through drink, smoke and whatnot...

...and it's pretty much the majority.

For the reasons your article brought up, The Straight Story, I asked DU about it in July 2010:

Poll question: Are You on Anti-Depressants?

Things broke about 50-50.

[izquierdista]

8. One in five U.S. adults thought Dick Cheney did a good job.

[RKP5637]

9. In this country ... I think a lot of people need some serious help. Just looking at

the R pres. hopeful lineup is one huge WTF for me.

[provis99]

10. mental illness is as common as other physical illness.

So I'm not surprised.

[Kennah]

11. There are days I need a drink

I am the 20%