The Most Commonly Prescribed Class of Medication: Antidepressants The number of people treated with antidepressant medication more than doubled from 13 million people in 1996 to 27 million people in 2005 (Olfson & Marcus, 2009). With the exception of African Americans, antidepressant usage increased in virtually every demographic group. Partially fueling the increase is the rise in the number of prescriptions written by physicians who do not give the patient a psychiatric diagnosis (Mojtabai & Olfson, 2011). In fact, people with depressive symptoms are less likely to undergo psychotherapy treatment with a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other counselors (Mojtabai & Olfson, 2008).

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