Table 1.

Use and overuse of antidepressants overall and by therapeutic class reported by 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey participants^a

Group	Percentage of sample
	FDA-approved useb	Use with strong scientific support	Overuse (limited or no scientific support)
All antidepressants	70	10	20
Older-generation antidepressantsc	4	6	26
Newer-generation antidepressantsd	72	18	74

^aWeighted N=23,026,608. Additional data sources included the Physicians’ Desk Reference, United States Pharmacopeia–National Formulary, Micromedex DrugDx system, and Multum

^bFDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

^cInclude the tricyclic antidepressants and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors

^dInclude the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, mirtazapine, bupropion, and nefazodone