Depression, Anxiety Prescriptions Soar During Coronavirus Pandemic

In the year prior to the start of the coronavirus pandemic, 15.8% of American adults were using prescription medication to support their mental health; two years later, that number has risen to 23%, according to a survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).  

During the two-year survey period that began April 2020, young adults and those aged 30–39 were issued 4.3% and 6.3% more mental health prescriptions; these were the largest increases of any age group. Additional data from pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts showed that, in the span of the years leading up to the pandemic, teenagers’ use of antidepressants had boomed by 38% compared to a smaller 15% increase in people of all age groups.  

Pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the popular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) used to treat depression had record years during the pandemic and even struggled to meet the increased demand for medications.  At one point, FDA officials added Pfizer’s Zoloft to a drug shortage list as prescriptions skyrocketed in the first months of coronavirus lockdowns.  

Drugs used to treat depression or anxiety are not the only ones on the rise; stimulant prescriptions to treat ADHD also grew during the pandemic. A study out of Trilliant Health showed the number of patients prescribed Adderall or a generic increased during the pandemic, especially in the 22–44 age range.  

The growth in telehealth prescriptions for Adderall and its generic forms was so concerning to the Department of Justice that the agency subpoenaed some of the largest telemental health providers for their prescribing practices. Retail giants CVS and Walmart have since stopped accepting prescriptions from those providers at their pharmacy locations.   

Returning to the household survey data, which was presented by the CDC, the number of people receiving counseling or therapy was less than half of that who had said they were taking a prescription medication. In addition, around 10% of people said they needed counseling or therapy but did not receive it.  

Telehealth visits dominated counseling during the pandemic, and providers quickly adapted to providing previously in-person mental healthcare over the phone. Still, the 10% of adults who needed care but didn’t receive it were likely discouraged by the service cost. Pre-pandemic data from the same survey found that 4.3% of adults avoided counseling or therapy due to the price alone, a number that was likely elevated along with the financial hardships of the pandemic.