66% Increase in Antidepressant Usage: GIMBHI's Q&A with Dr. Kao-Ping Chua

Dr. Kao-Ping Chua, MD, PhD, is a primary care pediatrician and health policy researcher in the Department of Pediatrics and the Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center at the University of Michigan Medical School. After completing his pediatrics residency at Boston Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center, he obtained a Ph.D. in health policy from Harvard University with a concentration in evaluative sciences and statistics. He joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 2015 and moved to the University of Michigan in 2017. Dr. Chua's research focuses on opioid prescribing, out-of-pocket spending, low-value care, and prescription drug policy, particularly as these topics relate to children and their families. He is the recipient of the 2017 Academic Pediatric Association Young Investigator Award. His studies have been published in high-impact journals such as JAMA, BMJ, JAMA Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics, and have been covered by national media outlets such as CNN, NPR, and Forbes.

How much has antidepressant dispensing increased recently?

Between January 2016 and December 2022, the monthly antidepressant dispensing rate to U.S. adolescents and young adults aged 12-25 years increased by 66.3%. The increase was more rapid after the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020 than beforehand.

What demographics are driving the increase in antidepressant dispensing?

We show that the largest acceleration in the monthly antidepressant dispensing rate after March 2020 occurred in female adolescents aged 12-17 years, followed by female young adults aged 18-25 years. In contrast, the monthly antidepressant dispensing rate changed little for male young adults and actually declined among male adolescents after March 2020.

What are the most used antidepressants?

In our overall sample, the 3 most commonly dispensed antidepressants were sertraline, fluoxetine, and escitalopram.

Written By Shivan Bhavnani