Health | antidepressant 1 in 10 Americans on Antidepressants Use is up 400% since 1988, says CDC By John Johnson Posted Oct 20, 2011 4:39 PM CDT Copied File photo of antidepressant pills. (Getty Images) The CDC rounds up some depressing stats about antidepressant use: More than one in 10 Americans (11%) older than 12 take the drugs, the majority of them for depression. That marks a 400% increase since 1988 and makes antidepressants the most commonly used drug for people ages 18 to 44, notes USA Today. Less than one-third of those on antidepressants have seen a mental health professional in the last year. Women are more likely than men to take the drugs, and 23% of females ages 40 to 59 do so. About 14% of whites take antidepressants, versus 4% of blacks and 3% of Mexican-Americans, notes the Wall Street Journal. More than 60% of those on the medication have been taking it for more than two years. Only about one-third of people with symptoms of severe depression are taking them. Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Iran's supreme leader makes first public comments since ceasefire. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Trump's spy chiefs back up his Iran claims, citing new intel. Report an error