Hooked on SSRIs: Antidepressant Use Doubles in U.S.

Eric Caine of the University of Rochester, who was not involved in the study, expressed concern that people are placing too much faith in psychiatric drugs.

"Antidepressants are only moderately effective on population level," he said, and therapy has been proven at least as effective, if not more so. He also noted that there has been no increase in mental health corresponding to increasing use of psychiatric drugs.

"There are no data to say that the population is healthier," he said. "Indeed, the suicide rate in the middle years of life has been climbing."

Antidepressants carry a risk of potentially serious side effects, including suicide.