Anxiety‑med use has risen

More U.S. adults are taking medication for anxiety, with use rising to 14.3% in 2024 from 11.7% in 2019. (kffhealthnews.org) KFF Health News, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey data, reported that the increase equals roughly 8 million additional adults and about 38 million people total. Most of the rise happened during the Covid-19 pandemic. (kffhealthnews.org) Young adults drove much of the change: among people ages 18 to 34, anxiety-med use rose to 14.6% in 2024 from 8.8% in 2019. Rates changed little among adults 65 and older, according to the same report. (npwomenshealthcare.com) Anxiety disorders are already common in the United States. The National Institute of Mental Health says 19.1% of U.S. adults had any anxiety disorder in the past year, and women had higher rates than men. (nimh.nih.gov) The broader mental-health system was also moving in the same direction before this latest anxiety-med figure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the share of adults receiving any mental health treatment rose to 23.9% in 2023 from 19.2% in 2019. (cdc.gov) Treatment also became easier to reach during and after the pandemic as virtual care spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said National Health Interview Survey data can be used to track telemedicine use as the country moved forward from the pandemic. (cdc.gov) Many of the drugs used for anxiety are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, a class that includes Lexapro, Prozac, and Zoloft. KFF Health News reported that rising acceptance of psychiatric medication and easier telehealth access coincided with the jump in use. (kffhealthnews.org) The increase is unfolding alongside a political backlash from the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again effort. President Donald Trump’s February 13, 2025 executive order creating that commission directed it to assess the “threat posed” by drugs including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. (federalregister.gov) Federal regulators already require warnings on antidepressants for younger patients. The Food and Drug Administration says antidepressants increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and adolescents, and patients starting treatment should be watched closely. (fda.gov) So the picture in 2024 was two-track: more Americans, especially younger adults, were using anxiety medication, while federal officials and political allies were mounting new scrutiny of the same drugs. (kffhealthnews.org)