Fills on anxiety and depression meds are up across the country, study finds
Between 2019 and 2022, 46 states saw jumps in the amount of anxiety and depression prescriptions filled.
According to new research published by GoodRx, fills for anxiety and depression medications are up since the beginning of the pandemic.
The research, which looked at pharmaceutical fill rates across the United States, shows that 10% or more of filled prescriptions were for anxiety or depression meds in 43 states. Among the states with the highest percentage of anxiety and depression medications distributed includes New Hampshire and Iowa, where 14.2% of all meds were anxiety or depression medications. On the other hand, in Hawaii and New York, only 7.3% and 7.4% of medications were depression or anxiety medications, respectively.
Crucially, prescriptions for anxiety and depression medications have climbed compared to before the pandemic. Between 2019 and 2022, 46 states saw jumps in the amount of anxiety and depression prescriptions filled, with only Hawaii and New Hampshire seeing decreases. New York experienced the biggest increase, with a 16.6% spike in prescription fills. Other states that saw over a 10% increase in anxiety and depression fills include Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas.
In the report, researchers theorize that the states that improved the accessibility of mental health services while also experiencing higher instances of depression and anxiety are most likely to have experienced high increases in prescription med fills. For instance, South Dakota and Illinois have good access to mental health treatment, but at the same time, over a quarter of their residents have at least some symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to the GoodRX report.
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On the other hand, states that saw a decrease in the number of prescription meds handed out – namely Hawaii, which saw a drop of 7.7% in anxiety and depression prescriptions – may have barriers to treatment access, like a lack of qualified workers or appropriate health insurance, according to the GoodRx analysis. Similarly, legislation may play a role: in Hawaii, for instance, the distribution of benzodiazepines, a common medication to treat anxiety, is restricted.