9%

Percent of prescriptions for antidepressants written by non-psychiatrists in the U.S. in 2007, more than double the 4% written in 1996, according to a study in the journal Health Affairs. These included 9,454 prescriptions for patients without a diagnosis of depression or other mental illness typically treated with antidepressants, suggesting that many people may now be taking the drugs to deal with the minor stresses of everyday life, the study's author said. While the increase in prescriptions doesn't necessarily mean people are using the medications inappropriately, not all patients may fully understand the potential long-terms risks of taking them. [via USA Today]