Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41565346›Full record

ArticleBMJ mental health2026

Antidepressant use among American adults in a 50-state survey.

Roy H Perlis, Anudeepa K Ramachandiran, Pilar F Verhaak, Mauricio Santillana, Matthew A Baum, James N Druckman, Katherine Ognyanova, David Lazer

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ mental health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Roy H PerlisDepartment of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA RPERLIS@mgh.harvard.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5862-6757
Anudeepa K RamachandiranDepartment of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-1498-7646
Pilar F VerhaakDepartment of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Mauricio SantillanaNetwork Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4206-418X
Matthew A BaumDepartment of Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
James N DruckmanDepartment of Political Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1249-6790
Katherine OgnyanovaDepartment of Communication, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3038-7077
David LazerNetwork Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7991-9110

Funding

Depression, Isolation, and Social Connectivity Online (DISCO)RF1MH132335 · NIMH · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI PERLIS, ROY H. · 2022 to 2022
$1.9M
NIMH NIH HHS RF1 MH132335
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAntidepressants are among the most prescribed medications in the USA, yet challenges in access to mental health treatment persist.

objectiveTo assess current and lifetime antidepressant and psychotherapy use among American adults, and examine attitudes towards potential federal restrictions on antidepressant prescribing.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey study using data from a national non-probability internet-based panel weighted to approximate national demographics (age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, US census region, and urbanicity) based on 2020 US Census data. Data were collected between 10 April and 27 May 2025 from 30 810 adults residing in the USA. The primary outcomes were self-reported current and past antidepressant and psychotherapy use, and support for or opposition to potential federal restrictions on antidepressant prescribing. Logistic regression models estimated demographic and treatment-related features associated with these outcomes.

findingsAmong 30 115 respondents with complete antidepressant data, 16.6% reported current antidepressant use, and of 30 098 respondents with psychotherapy data, 10.4% reported current psychotherapy. Use of both treatments was significantly greater among White respondents compared with all other racial groups. When asked about potential federal restrictions on doctors prescribing antidepressants, 16.4% of respondents supported and 48.0% opposed such regulation, with lesser opposition among those of male gender (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.73), and greater opposition among those with lifetime antidepressant treatment (OR 2.37, 95% CI 2.21 to 2.54).

conclusionsAntidepressant and psychotherapy use remains unevenly distributed across demographic groups. A significant proportion of adults in every US state oppose efforts to restrict access to antidepressant prescribing, reflecting broad public support for maintaining access to treatment. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Findings from this study suggest that restrictive policies on antidepressant prescribing are unlikely to align with public sentiment and may risk exacerbating existing inequities in care.

Indexed as

Antidepressive AgentsPsychotherapyAdolescentAdultAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited StatesYoung AdultAntidepressive AgentsMental HealthMental Health ServicesPsychiatry

Identifiers

PMID41565346
PMCPMC12829365

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.