Not depressed? That doesn't mean your doctor won't hand you a prescription for antidepressants.
More and more doctors are prescribing the drugs for patients who aren't suffering from depression or any other mental illness, according to a provocative new study.
"We've seen a marked increase in antidepressant use among individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis," study author Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a written statement. "Between 1996 and 2007, the number of visits where individuals were prescribed antidepressants with no psychiatric diagnoses increased from 59.5 percent to 72.7 percent."
The National Institute of Mental Health has more on psychiatric medications.
More and more doctors are prescribing the drugs for patients who aren't suffering from depression or any other mental illness, according to a provocative new study.
"We've seen a marked increase in antidepressant use among individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis," study author Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a written statement. "Between 1996 and 2007, the number of visits where individuals were prescribed antidepressants with no psychiatric diagnoses increased from 59.5 percent to 72.7 percent."
The National Institute of Mental Health has more on psychiatric medications.
