One in six U.S. adults takes a psychiatric drug, study says [View all]

[Sunlei]

MONDAY, Dec. 12, 2016 -- One in six U.S. adults takes a psychiatric medication to cope with conditions such as depression, anxiety and insomnia, a new study finds.

Researchers found that in 2013 nearly 17 percent of adults said they filled one or more prescriptions for antidepressants such as Zoloft; sedatives and sleep drugs, including Xanax and Ambien; or antipsychotics, used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Because most prescriptions for these drugs are written by primary care physicians, not psychiatrists, patients aren't getting the mental health care they need, one specialist said

Whites were about twice as likely to use these medications (21 percent) as blacks and Hispanic adults. Just 5 percent of Asians said they had taken them, according to the study. The researchers said they couldn't explain why whites are so much more likely to use these medications

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/12/12/One-in-six-US-adults-takes-a-psychiatric-drug-study-says/3651481594101/