As of 2023, around 24 percent of women in the United States reported currently having or being treated for depression, compared to 11 percent of men. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who currently had or were being treated for depression in 2017 and 2023, by gender.

Based on pharmacy claims in 2019, more than twice the amount of females than males were taking antidepressants. This statistic shows the percentage of individuals (excluding those on government-sponsored benefits) who filled a prescription for antidepressants in the U.S. in 2019, by age group and gender.

Based on pharmacy claims of those who filled at least one prescription for mental health medication in 2019, antidepressant use is most prevalent in West Virginia, Kentucky, Vermont, and New Hampshire. This statistic shows the percentage of patients (excluding those on government-sponsored benefits) who filled a prescription for antidepressants in the U.S. in 2019, by state.

Globally, antidepressant usage has been on the rise. As of 2023, among select Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, Iceland, Portugal, and the UK were the biggest consumers of antidepressants. At that time, people in Iceland consumed antidepressants at a rate of about *** defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 people. Mental health globally Mental health disorders affect a significant proportion of the population, though addressing and understanding the prevalence of mental health is difficult due to regional differences in diagnostic criteria and understandings of mental health. Despite barriers to gathering data on mental health, there have been some global quantitative studies to help better understand certain conditions. It is suggested that mental health is among the top three health concerns among adults worldwide. Estimates propose that about ** percent of the overall population suffers from some mental health or substance use disorder. Depression and anxiety A global survey showed that the largest numbers of people with anxiety resided in locations in South-East Asia and the Americas. However, the highest distribution of cases of depression globally is among populations in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. Both depression and anxiety disproportionately impact women in all regions of the world.

According to the European health survey, over 11 percent of women older than 65 years consumed antidepressants or stimulants in Spain in 2020. On the other hand, only 3.57 percent of men of that same age used antidepressants or stimulants. The lowest percentage was found in respondents between the ages of 15 and 24 for both genders.

Number in parenthesis is the percentage of ‘any antidepressant’. Sum of percentages adds up to more than 100% due to some pregnancies being exposed to more than one antidepressant in the given period. SSRI, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; TCA, tricyclic antidepressants; AD, antidepressant.

Based on pharmacy claims of those who filled at least one prescription for mental health medication in 2019, nearly twice as many teenage girls take antidepressants compared to teenage boys. This statistic shows the percentage of teenagers (excluding those on government-sponsored benefits) who filled a prescription for antidepressants in the U.S. from 2015 to 2019, by gender.

Table shows the number (n) of pregnant women within each subcategory. Some women were exposed to several antidepressants during pregnancy. Number in parenthesis denotes percentage of pregnant women within each exposure. Information on BMI was only available for women giving birth after 1 January 2004. Chi-square tests were used to assess the overall p value for the group comparison between unexposed and women exposed to “any AD”.BMI, body mass index; SSRI, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; TCA, tricyclic antidepressants; AD, antidepressant.

According to the data, in Italy, almost ** percent of patients with a diagnosis of depression used antidepressants in 2021. Women diagnosed with depression had a higher prevalence of antidepressant use compared to men. This statistic shows the prevalence of antidepressant consumption in Italy in 2021, by gender.

During the 2023-2024 school year, ** percent of university and college students in the U.S. reported that in the past year they had been using antidepressant medications regularly. This statistic shows the percentage of postsecondary students using psychotropic medications in the United States in 2023-2024.

Based on pharmacy claims in 2019, the highest prevalence of anti-anxiety medication use was seen among women aged 45 to 64 years, with around 10 percent filling at least one prescription in 2019, twice the rate seen among men in the same age group. This statistic shows the percentage of individuals (excluding those on government-sponsored benefits) who filled a prescription for anti-anxiety medication in the U.S. in 2019, by age group and gender.

Antidepressant/anxiolytic drugs: consistent/single studies of pregnancy associated pharmacokinetic changes (percent calculated as pregnant/nonpregnant values).

(1)Typically 1st trimester; some women continued during pregnancy, others discontinued.(2)Typically 3rd trimester.(3)Factors varied between studies, but typically included maternal age, smoking, alcohol use, parity, and history of prematurity or miscarriage.(4)Values of I2 are percentages (% of variance explained). 95% uncertainty intervals are calculated as proposed by Higgins and Thompson [89].

Depression is one of the most common mental health problems worldwide. In 2020, around 628.8 thousand men and 1,479.7 thousand women were diagnosed with depression in Spain, which represents a share of around 3.2 and 7.2 percent, respectively. The real prevalence, however, is expected to be higher, as many people that suffer from depression have not been diagnosed by a doctor.

Mental health treatment: medication

Mental health treatment commonly involves psychological counseling, medication, or a combination of the two. In Spain, 3.5 percent of the population consumed antidepressants or stimulants, while 12.7 percent used tranquilizers or sleeping medication as of 2020. As with the prevalence of mental disorders, the consumption of these pharmaceuticals is significantly higher in women than in men and increases with age. For instance, 11.1 percent of women over the age of 65 used antidepressants or stimulants in Spain, while 3.6 of men of the same age consumed that type of medication.

Mental health treatment: counseling

In 2020, around 4.8 percent of the Spanish population had consulted a psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist. There are still stigma and economic barriers that prevent access to psychological treatment. Although psychological counseling is available free of charge in the National Health System, the reality is that there are not enough resources to provide adequate treatment to everyone who needs it. The number of registered clinical psychologists, accounting for both the public and private sector, amounted to approximately 33.2 thousand in 2019.

In 2019, millions of people were prescribed psychotropic drugs in France. Among men, anxiolytics were the most prescribed psychoactive drug, whereas antidepressants and mood regulators were the most prescribed psychoactive drug among women. During that year, just under three million antidepressants and mood regulators were prescribed to women in France.

As of 2023, about *** percent of adults in Italy reported depression symptoms. Among them, on average **** percent asked for help to get out of this mental state between 2022 and 2023. According to the data, the regions where people suffering from depression were least likely to seek help were Sicily and Molise. The Autonomous Province of Bolzano and Trento, on the contrary, were the regions with the highest percentage of individuals declaring they reached out for help when experiencing depression symptoms. Depression among elderly In Italy, higher percentages of people suffering from depression can be observed among elderly people. Between 2022 and 2023, about **** percent of people aged 85 and older were experiencing symptoms of depression. When considering gender differences, elderly women were more than twice as likely to suffer from depression. Antidepressants During the last decade, consumption of antidepressants increased in Italy, rising from ** DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day in 2013 to **** in 2023. Sertraline was the most used active ingredient in 2023, as well as the one with the lowest average cost per daily defined dose, at **** euros per DDD.