Ahrnsbrak Rebecca, Stagnitti Marie N.
Prescription antidepressants are widely prescribed to treat a variety of mental health concerns, including major depressive disorder. In 2018, an estimated 11.8 percent of elderly adults aged 65 or older experienced any mental illness in the past year. Between 2013 and 2018, the percentage of middle- or high-income adults experiencing any mental illness in the past year increased from 16.0 percent to 17.2 percent. During the same period, the percentage of youths aged 12 to 17 that experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year increased from 10.7 percent to 14.4 percent, and the percentage of adults experiencing at least one past-year major depressive episode increased from 6.7 percent to 7.2 percent. The percentage of Black non-Hispanic adults experiencing at least one major depressive episode in the past year increased from 4.6 percent in 2013 to 6.1 percent in 2018. Among adult females, both the percentage experiencing at least one major depressive episode in the past year and the percentage experiencing serious mental illness in the past year increased from 2013 to 2018 (8.1 percent to 9.0 percent and 4.9 percent to 5.7 percent, respectively). Between 2013 and 2018, the average total expenditure per fill for antidepressants remained stable, at $76 in 2013 and $72 in 2018, the average out-of-pocket expenditure per fill decreased from $14 to $9, and the average third-party payer expenditure remained stable at $62 in 2013 and $63 in 2018. To ensure fair and equitable policy as more people use prescription antidepressants, it is important for policymakers and researchers to understand changes in expenditures for subpopulations using these medications. This Statistical Brief presents a comparison of expenditures for prescription antidepressants in the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population purchasing one or more antidepressant prescriptions by select sociodemographic characteristics between 2013 and 2018. Averages per fill are presented for total expenditures, out-of-pocket expenditures, and third-party expenditures for individuals purchasing at least one prescription antidepressant in the year. Estimates are based on the 2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household Component (MEPS-HC) and the 2018 MEPS-HC. Only prescriptions obtained in an outpatient setting (retail and mail-order prescribed medicines) are included in these estimates. Prescription medicines administered in an inpatient setting or in a clinic or physician’s office are excluded. No standardization for days supplied was made; for example, the estimates presented do not differentiate between a 30-day supply and a 90-day supply. Expenditure estimates are presented in real dollars; estimates for 2013 are inflated to 2018 dollars based on the gross domestic product (GDP) price index (http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/about_meps/Price_Index.shtml). All differences between estimates discussed in the text are statistically significant at the 0.05 level unless otherwise noted.
处方抗抑郁药被广泛用于治疗各种心理健康问题，包括重度抑郁症。2018年，估计65岁及以上的老年人中有11.8%在过去一年中患有任何精神疾病。2013年至2018年期间，过去一年中患有任何精神疾病的中高收入成年人的比例从16.0%上升到17.2%。在同一时期，12至17岁的青少年在过去一年中经历至少一次重度抑郁发作的比例从10.7%上升到14.4%，成年人在过去一年中经历至少一次重度抑郁发作的比例从6.7%上升到7.2%。过去一年中经历至少一次重度抑郁发作的非西班牙裔黑人成年人的比例从2013年的4.6%上升到2018年的6.1%。在成年女性中，2013年至2018年期间，过去一年中经历至少一次重度抑郁发作的比例以及过去一年中患有严重精神疾病的比例均有所上升（分别从8.1%上升到9.0%，从4.9%上升到5.7%）。2013年至2018年期间，每次抗抑郁药配药的平均总支出保持稳定，2013年为76美元，2018年为72美元，每次配药的平均自付费用从14美元降至9美元，平均第三方支付者支出保持稳定，2013年为62美元，2018年为63美元。为了确保随着越来越多的人使用处方抗抑郁药，政策的公平性和公正性，政策制定者和研究人员了解使用这些药物的亚人群体的支出变化非常重要。本统计简报比较了2013年至2018年期间美国非机构化平民人口中按选定社会人口特征购买一张或多张抗抑郁药处方的处方抗抑郁药支出情况。给出了当年购买至少一张处方抗抑郁药的个人的每次配药的总支出（包括自付费用和第三方支付费用）的平均值。估计值基于2013年医疗支出面板调查-家庭部分（MEPS-HC）和2018年MEPS-HC。这些估计仅包括在门诊环境（零售和邮购处方药）中获得的处方。住院环境或诊所或医生办公室开具的处方药不包括在内。未对供应天数进行标准化；例如，给出的估计未区分30天供应量和90天供应量。支出估计以实际美元表示；2013年的估计值根据国内生产总值（GDP）价格指数（http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/about_meps/Price_Index.shtml）换算为2018年美元。除非另有说明，文本中讨论的估计值之间的所有差异在0.05水平上具有统计学意义。
